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Cheryl: My Story

4.12 of 5 stars 4.12 · rating details · 397 ratings · 65 reviews

For the first time Cheryl tells her full story, her way. Revealing the truth behind the headlines, this is the only official autobiography, giving the fans the true story they’ve been waiting for. Includes exclusive, personal photos.

The nation’s sweetheart, Cheryl has achieved unrivalled success with Girls Aloud, as a solo artist, a judge on the X Factor, a fashion icon an...more

Hardcover, 320 pages

Published October 11th 2012 by Harper (first published October 1st 2012)

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Jan 19, 2013 Fiona marked it as the-book-club

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Jan 04, 2013 Alice Kouzmenko rated it 5 of 5 stars

I've always considered Cheryl Cole one of the most inspirational women on the planet, and after reading this book, I've only assured myself of exactly this.
I could use countless words to describe this book, but, at the end of the day, I think there is one word that sums up the story more than others: honest.
When reading most autobiographies, I often feel like the author is trying to steer away from the real truth, or only explain the surface, what readers essentially already know, without real...more

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Oct 14, 2012 Sam Arnold rated it 5 of 5 stars

Now I am sure there will be the normal haters out there that don’t give this book a chance and say it is rubbish without picking it up. No matter what I put here their opinion will not change. For those of you rounded enough to have an open mind and for the down right fans. This book is awesome the girl can seriously write. Yes, I know before I get a 100 emails I am sure someone helped Cheryl Cole write this book. However, if people were interested enough to know about my past and then someone e...more

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Jan 08, 2013 Kimmy rated it 5 of 5 stars

alright, this book isnt winning any kind of literary prize. but who the hell cares! ive paid my dues reading boring intellectual stuff in college. now i get to read stuff because its entertaining, and THIS book is entertaining! i couldnt put this book down and it got me through a flight to europe and jetlag- hallelujah! if your a gossip junky and pop culture fan like i am, this is definitely going to be your fix. she tells you all the juicy details of everything that youve been hearing about in...more

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Jan 09, 2013 Līga Ločmele rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Unexpectedly fresh. After all those metafictions and metanarratives (I cannot help but to notice) this was something new. It was just somebody's story without any intention of making a literary masterpiece out of it by implanting the most cunning strategies in the world. It was like the author was talking directly to me. But, well, that goes by the definition of an autobiography, doesn't it.

I also enjoyed the fact that the story isn't made up and you can actually draw parallels with the news and...more Unexpectedly fresh. After all those metafictions and metanarratives (I cannot help but to notice) this was something new. It was just somebody's story without any intention of making a literary masterpiece out of it by implanting the most cunning strategies in the world. It was like the author was talking directly to me. But, well, that goes by the definition of an autobiography, doesn't it.

I also enjoyed the fact that the story isn't made up and you can actually draw parallels with the news and see the other side of it, and feel the book's connection to the reality. (Which is extremely hard to do with 'Hitchhiker’s Guide to Galaxy) Though her reality is nothing like my or your reality, believe me, Cheryl (after reading the book, we're on first name basis, that is, I am..xD) talks about her life so matter-of-factly without artificially building suspense or making a huge deal out of every little detail in her life. Things just happen or have happened and then she maybe talks about them. And you end up thinking - when did she manage to do all that? Oh, probably, she wasn't sleeping for ten hours a day and watching TV series for some (ten) more. (Ok, that is not how I spend my days, but - to compare with everything she manages to do in one day - it would amount to that, yes.)

Also, she speaks about her past unbelievably subjectively. The thing is, when we tell others about events that we are not particularly proud of, we tend to defend our past-selves, somehow to justify our (remarkably stupid) actions or distance our now-selves from our past-selves. But she just admits - ok, it was a mistake to do that, when I look back, but at that time I thought it was the right thing to do. At least that's the impression I got. I ended up wishing I could do the same with the things I've done and am not proud of - not to go back and think of how I could have done something differently, but just say to myself - ok, this is what happened and that is what I did. It was all I could do/think of at that time. And I'm fine with that.

Apart from all that, I must admit that she indeed has been through a lot, which makes an interesting story, and it is her story. I'm too smart to play with the word 'truth' here, but, yes, it sounded so very personal and heartfelt.

All in all, I really really liked this book, and I don't give five stars away easily. But it was so personal that it made me fell for her and think about being stronger, and it was so fresh that it made me forget about intertextuality for a moment. No, I'm not rating somebody's life or somebody's story, I'm simply giving five starts to the book I loved reading.(less)

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Jan 19, 2013 Laura rated it 3 of 5 stars

So I'm obviously a pretty big Cheryl Cole fan and when I got this as a present for Christmas I was more than a little excited about reading it. I actually had a different book in mind to read after Lover Reborn but I just picked this up to skim through it for a few minutes and ended up being glued to it for a few days until I finished it.

It starts off with Cheryl telling us about her early life in a council estate in Newcastle. She really had a tough upbringing and didn't have an easy rise to fa...more So I'm obviously a pretty big Cheryl Cole fan and when I got this as a present for Christmas I was more than a little excited about reading it. I actually had a different book in mind to read after Lover Reborn but I just picked this up to skim through it for a few minutes and ended up being glued to it for a few days until I finished it.

It starts off with Cheryl telling us about her early life in a council estate in Newcastle. She really had a tough upbringing and didn't have an easy rise to fame at all. In her early years she had to deal with the break up of her parents and the discovery that her older siblings were actually only half-brothers and sisters as they had a different father to her. Although this affected her, obviously, she was more affected by the actions of her older brother Andrew who was involved from an early age in drugs and related crimes. He made their home a scary place for awhile and she carried this fear into her adulthood.

Anyone who is in any way interested or intrigued by Cheryl would probably be most interested in her relationship with Ashley Cole, the footballer who she married and who subsequently broke her heart what seems like multiple times. She doesn't hold back in giving the true details of the events that took place throughout her marriage and even though we see how much Ashley hurts her by cheating on her and not being trustworthy in general we also see how much they seemed to be a genuine couple in love through most of their relationship. It's actually quite sad to see because you feel that if only Ashley could have kept his d*ck in his pants they would have had a long and happy life together but there you go. The only consolation is if Cheryl can't make a man stay faithful there's never any need for any woman on the planet to worry it was somehow her fault if their man strays. If they're a cheater they're going to cheat. Regardless.

It was really interesting reading to see her journey and rise to fame through her eyes also. She seems to be a person that a lot of people, famous and not, take a shine to. Simon Cowell seems to have been just bowled over by her and couldn't seem to resist her charms. Also Derek Hough, who she seems to have a lovely sweet relationship with, was just completely smitten with her. She never really clarifies whether they had a romantic relationship or not and a part of me wonders is he gay and just doesn't want to come out.

The part I found most surprising was the trouble that she had with the paparazzi and the newspapers writing lies about her. I suppose I just never put myself in her shoes and thought that as someone who was famous for a good few years before the revelations about Ashley came out that she would somehow be immune to the hardships of bad publicity but clearly she isn't and never will be. She really struggled with depression and anxiety throughout the break up of her marriage and as I, myself have suffered with anxiety in the past, I can't imagine doing that with the whole world watching. It just sounds horrific.

All in all I feel like Cheryl is someone that has had a tough early life but has been both extremely lucky and unlucky with how her life has panned out. It just goes to show you can have the money, the fame, the looks and the life but it all means nothing if you haven't someone you love to share it with.(less)

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Oct 11, 2012 Shaun rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, 5-star, biographies, kindle, london, non-fiction

This is the autobiography I have waited years to read. I couldn't care less what the haters say, I love Cheryl Cole and have ever since Popstars: The Rivals way back in 2002. She was my favourite along with Nadine Coyle. People are automatically going to slate this book, rate it one star, say they hate it, whatever. But I have read a lot of autobiographies over the years and can honestly say that this is my favourite and one of the best I have read. Unlike Through My Eyes, this is a 100% honest,...more This is the autobiography I have waited years to read. I couldn't care less what the haters say, I love Cheryl Cole and have ever since Popstars: The Rivals way back in 2002. She was my favourite along with Nadine Coyle. People are automatically going to slate this book, rate it one star, say they hate it, whatever. But I have read a lot of autobiographies over the years and can honestly say that this is my favourite and one of the best I have read. Unlike Through My Eyes, this is a 100% honest, from the heart autobiography and Cheryl doesn't hold anything back.

She cites press intrusion as one of the reasons for writing this book and how she wanted to set the record straight, and she has certainly done that. Having previously read Sean Smith's biography of Cheryl, and from reading about her in the press you feel like you know her from all that. And, unlike most biographers, I think Smith is fantastic and you can tell her certainly researches his subjects. That much is obvious from how similar the stories he told are to the ones Cheryl told, but she also talks about stuff that nobody but her could talk about. How she felt about marrying Ashley, why she did tacky photo shoots and sold her wedding to OK!, how the press intrusion and paparazzi really affected her life.

As fans of a celebrity people often say that they are to blame for the press and that they can't have it both ways, with all the good press comes bad press. Fans want to know every detail about their favourite celebrity's life, they scour the internet for pictures and gossip and don't really think about how this affects the celebrity, as they are only human after all. When you read about how Cheryl felt with the intrusion you think about how you would feel if it was you: not being able to step outside your front door without being confronted by dozens of men with cameras. Not being able to open a newspaper without seeing pictures of yourself or loved ones and having to read made up stories about yourself. That's not to say the whole book focuses on the bad times, of which there have been plenty, there are also some great stories to be read here and also plenty of funny ones.

I believe that some celebrities are hypocrites when it comes to the press. Especially the ones that tip paps off to where they are going to be but the next time turn round and complain about the intrusion. Cheryl is not one of those celebrities, she is just a famous woman trying to live her life. As a massive Girls Aloud fan and a huge fan of Cheryl I obviously wish there was more pictures of her, I wish Girls Aloud hadn't taken a break and I wish Cheryl was still a judge on X Factor. But reading this book you realise that she is just a human being who, despite what she was going through in her personal life, still carried out work commitments and put on a brave face for the public. The last part of the book is particularly poignant and would make even the most hardcore Cheryl fan realise that being as famous as she is can take its toll.

People probably won't agree because they will think she's famous and she's rich and so deserves everything the press and paparazzi throw at her, but that isn't true at all. Yes she's one of the most famous people in the UK but she has reached a point in her life where she just wants to live a normal life and I think people need to let her do that. She isn't like some celebrities who crave press attention, nor does her career rely on it. I think some of her haters could probably do with reading this book and after reading it I think some opinions people have of her might change. I think the fact that I read this book in under 12 hours shows how much I enjoyed it because I just couldn't put it down. I wholeheartedly recommend it to Girls Aloud fans, to Cheryl fans and to anybody who has ever had an opinion about her. A fantastic read. (less)

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Jan 30, 2013 Emina rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: biographies

I liked Cheryl before I read the book and I somehow, always trusted The Sun on every article about Cheryl. But, I was completely shocked when I actually read the book because I came to realise that the opinion I had was wrong on so many levels. Cheryl tells her story which I personally think is THE ONLY TRUE STORY. Cheryl is a strong woman. A really strong woman. I think I've changed my mind when it comes to certain people. For example, I don't know why but after I read the book my opinion on Si...more

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Feb 06, 2013 Claire rated it 4 of 5 stars

Really enjoyed this autobiography, it didn't feel contrived or played up in the language like most ghost written biogs do; it did feel like Cheryl was pouring out her feelings in a very genuine way. I was sort of on the fence about her before reading this tbh, but after reading this she seems a lot more likeable and grounded than I'd previously thought. It's strange to think of a polished celebrity still very much in touch with her roots in a druggie estate in Newcastle, but she hasn't let fame...more

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Mar 17, 2013 Cassie Destremau rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: independent-reading

This autobiography written by British popstar Cheryl Cole was heart breaking, hilarious, and inspiring. We see her life through her eyes. Between her childhood, the X Factor series, her divorce and battling malaria, this book was very inspiring and I couldn't put it down. The popstar tells us her story from the very start of her childhood up until today. She tells us about how she got into her girl group called Girls Aloud, how she became a judge on the UK X Factor, how she had to battle Malaria...more

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May 16, 2013 Aimee rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book follows Cheryl's story from her life as a young girl up until now. You will come across the many highs and lows which Cheryl faced. I would say that this book is quiet a lot to read and if you are not a huge reader or a Cheryl Cole fan then you may not enjoy this book. You get to see what happens behind those 'closed doors' of the weird and wonderful celebrity life, and it was a good Autobiography to read however it was a big book and was quiet consuming other then that it was faultles...more

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Dec 26, 2012 Claire rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 30-books-to-read-2012

I read this book in one day. I've always liked Cheryl and read the stories in the press usually believing all of them. I thought her book was brilliant I think she was really brave to tell her story especially about Ashley as it's such a personal thing. Cheryl is my age so I could relate to her story quite a bit, I thought there was a lot of humour in the book especially when she was talking about Simon Cowell. I have a lot of respect for Cheryl after reading her story, I say good luck to her!

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Jan 03, 2013 Melissa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Cheryl is my idol and I adore her. This has just proved to me how lovely and how she really I the nations sweetheart. Cheryl is amazing!!!!!!! In concert she was amazing and she also is so down to earth in person but who knew she could be an amazing writer! The first autobiography was nowhere near as good as this, yet it was fantastic but this was astonishing! How she can bounce back from all the crap she has been through. Well done cheryl, us soldiers are behind you xxx

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Oct 20, 2012 Elaine Cochrane rated it 5 of 5 stars

If there is anyone out there who 'thinks' they dislike Cheryl, they should read this book. What a strong, level-headed, inspirational woman. I was slightly nervous to read this book in case I had misread Cheryl's celebrity personality. I have always loved Girls Aloud and championed Cheryl through X-Factor and her solo career, however, I can safely say this autobiography has affirmed that I am a proud Cheryl Soldier. Well deserved role model status in my eyes.

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Jan 04, 2013 Alette rated it 5 of 5 stars

Great biography that clearly was meant by her to set the record straight about many rumors and other lies that have been spread about her over the years. It's an honest and real look into her life which deals with her struggles before Girls Aloud, during and after. I read it in two days, because I just couldn't put it down. Well written and very captivating. Definitely recommending it.

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Jan 09, 2013 Julie rated it 5 of 5 stars

I am so not regretting buying the book. I bought it because i really like Cheryl, i like the way she is, honest and i like her music, so i wanted to read her story and the book only proved she is a human being just like me or any other person. She has feelings, emotions, ups and downs...She is an ispiration and i wish her all the best in her life and career.

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Mar 20, 2013 Colette rated it 3 of 5 stars

For somebody that moans about the media following her round, I think this book was very hypocritical, it was all poor little me, bad beginnings, and then the day after I read this book she was on TV advertising her show "Cheryl: Access All Areas" so clearly she loves the limelight she just doesn't like bad press.

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Apr 12, 2013 Eldin Milak rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Well, this woman is a magnet for trouble. A really revealing, interesting autobiography, which if read simultaneously with Cowell's biography gives a whole picture of the TV industry and its personalities.

And yes, this is the month of the year when I read mentally unchallenging books. I'm actually quite enjoying it.

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Nov 01, 2012 Helen rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was looking forward to this so I could hear her side of all of the stories we so often hear about. I wasn't disappointed, I have a great deal of respect for where she's come from and where she's got to. She could have bad mouthed so many people in this book but she didn't. Well worth a read!

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Mar 01, 2013 Aisling rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: auto-bio-graphy, tv, moosic, realitybites

I'm going to admit it. This book was a sort of unwanted Christmas present but I decided to give it a chance. I'm not a huge fan of Cheryl Cole but I used to be a big Girls Aloud fan and I love me some X Factor so I guess I'm a sort of in between fan of Cheryl's.

I was so shocked. I thought this was going to be about Girls Aloud forming, touring, in fighting with the other members, X Factor and her solo stuff.

In reality there was stories of her childhood.Her glue sniffing brother, being a lower cl...more

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Mar 18, 2013 Tomio rated it 4 of 5 stars

I did not know very much about Cheryl Cole before reading this book. Now I am a fan of hers and of Girls Aloud. Thanks for sharing you life story with us Cheryl. You have been through so much in your life so far. I wish you find balance, happiness and are able to start a family in your 30's.

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Apr 30, 2013 Leanne Loakes rated it 4 of 5 stars

At times this biography can come across (albeit understandably) bitter and there were parts that felt rushed and not at all detailed, only the juiciest bits were I.e the xfactor USA debacle, hence my 4 star rating, aside from this the book was refreshingly honest and to the point.

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Dec 05, 2012 David Baines rated it 4 of 5 stars

It's obviously not going to be literary gold. But if you take it for what it actually is, it's a wonderful insight into the life of one of the UK's most recognisable faces. Who knew someone so famous could hide so much hurt and sadness from the public.

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Apr 05, 2013 Fatima rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

The best autobiography I've ever read! It feels like Cheryl is speaking directly to you and there's also details about her divorce, malaria and the US X-factor:) This is book worth reading if you like Cheryl Cole or you just want to know more about her:)

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Jan 16, 2013 Lois rated it 1 of 5 stars

There are no major revelations and the 'truth' printed in the book is, I'm sure, far from honest - but if you're after a book to whizz through with half an eye and half a mind on something else, this might be something to consider.

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Jan 09, 2013 Emily rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: autobiographies

Was quite good as a 'behind the scenes' book. Gave understanding to Cheryl Cole's side of the media stories. Written as Cheryl Cole speaks! An easy read that helped pass a few rainy January afternoons. X

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Nov 13, 2012 Becks Dawe rated it 4 of 5 stars

After reading this book I have even more respect for the lady that is Miss Cheryl Cole. From being brought up on an estate surrounded with drugs she worked her way up the music industry to become the successful woman she is today. Like us "normal" people, she is human and it shows in this book.

Well worth a read.

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Dec 25, 2012 Lexy rated it 5 of 5 stars

A pretty honest account of Cheryl's life. There are some areas that could have been longer but I thought it was well written. I've always liked Cheryl and I think this book can only do her reputation good

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Jan 20, 2013 Pennydryer rated it 5 of 5 stars

Fantastic read. This really is an emotional roller coaster. I have not only a totally new opinion of Cheryl but a new found respect. Would recommend this book to anyone.

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Feb 28, 2013 Zoe Button rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed reading this, and finding out the truth begin the magazine articles. Was nice to read about someone that came from nothing and is now living the dream. Definitely worth a read!

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About Cheryl Cole

Cheryl Ann Cole is a singer/songwriter, dancer, model and author.

She rose to fame after winning Popstars The Rivals and forming the girl group Girls Aloud. She has gone on to have over 20 top 10 hits in the UK alone, with girls aloud and as an incredibly successful solo artist.

She is the biggest female celebrity in the UK, she has risen from popstar and X Factor judge to be the nations sweetheart...more

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“It's the broken plans you have made that are the hardest to get over.” — 6 people liked it

“I first got very thin after Ashley. I felt like my stomach was doing backflips - like my emotions had taken over and made me full.” — 2 people liked it

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