Nicole's X Factor

Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger talks about confidence, goofiness and her 'war' with Cheryl Cole.

As a shy, quiet child growing up in the tiny American town of Louisville, Kentucky, Nicole's Hawaiian-Filipino heritage made her stick out like a sore thumb, and her sensitive nature won her the nickname 'cry baby' - a very far cry from the confident diva in a sexy corset asking men if they wished their girlfriends were as sexy as her. But, as is often the case, Nicole's stage persona is very different from the goofy, reserved and self-depracating woman COSMO met in the flesh.

On stage, her larger-than-life persona is the one she channelled as an awkward teen who used to hide in her room, singing along to Whitney Houston tracks, and pretending to be someone else. And despite the whole X Factor USA controversy and supposed war with Cheryl Cole, she has only good things to say about Simon Cowell, and makes a point of ignoring the dirt the tabloids make it their mission to dish.

While the future of the Pussycat Dolls is unclear, Nicole's upwards trajectory is certain. Read more about our gorgeous cover girl on page 78 in the January edition of COSMOPOLITAN.

Author: Susan Hayden