Nicole Scherzinger

Nicole Prascovia Elikolani Scherzinger ( SHUR-zing-ər; née Valiente; born June 29, 1978) is an American singer, actress, and television personality. She is a member of the R&B and pop group the Pussycat Dolls. With two albums and over 55 million records sold worldwide, the Pussycat Dolls became one of the world's best-selling female groups ever. Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, Scherzinger began acting at the age of 14 and studied musical theatre at Wright State University. In pursuit of a musical career, Scherzinger accepted an offer to sing background vocals to American rock band Days of the New's second self-titled album and its supporting tour. She later found mild success with Eden's Crush, a girl group created through The WB's talent competition Popstars. After taking on minor acting roles, Scherzinger became the lead singer of the Pussycat Dolls. She carved out a solo career outside the group with the albums Killer Love (2011) and Big Fat Lie (2014). Her hit singles as a solo artist include "Right There", "Poison" and "Don't Hold Your Breath". Scherzinger has served as a judge on television talent shows, including The Sing-Off (2009–2010), The X Factor USA (2011), The X Factor UK (2012–2013, 2016–2017), Australia's Got Talent (2019), and The Masked Singer US (2019–2023). In 2010, she competed on the television dancing competition Dancing with the Stars, in which she won. Other work during this period includes her theatrical roles in Cats (2014) and Sunset Boulevard (2023–2025), as well as roles in the Disney animated film Moana (2016), the ABC film Dirty Dancing (2017), and the NBC special Annie Live! (2021). During her career, Scherzinger has received nominations for a Grammy, two Laurence Olivier Awards and a Tony Award. She won the 2024 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance as Norma Desmond in the 2023 West End revival of Sunset Boulevard and received the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical in 2025 when the show transferred to Broadway in 2024. Her other ventures include clothing lines; a fragrance; and serving as an ambassador for the Special Olympics and as a supporter of UNICEF UK.