X Factor judges Cheryl Cole and Dannii Minogue - from dumpy teens to sex sirens, their secrets revealed


By Tanith Carey 14/11/2008
Stunning Cheryl Cole and Dannii Minogue may be oh-so-perfect now, but once they were as unpolished as the raw talent they judge on The X Factor. We spoke to the people behind their transformations into the queens of primetime TV.
Cheryl Cole Age: 26 Height: 5ft 3in

Old Look: Girlband-meets-Footballer’s Wife in hot pants, cropped tops and Juicy Couture tracksuits.
New Look: With the help of stylist Victoria Adcock – who also styles Posh and Christina Aguilera – Cheryl has toned down her initial look with shift dresses, high-waisted trousers and classic blouses. “She does the ladylike look really well,” says Victoria. “But then she can switch to urban jeans, heels and a leather jacket.”
Diet: Cheryl used to live on egg, beans, chips and takeaways. Now she eats mostly vegetarian and loves shrimp and cod, as well as Oriental specialities like miso soup and edamame beans.
Exercise: She started out a stone heavier at 9st – until she hired a trainer and started intensive gym workouts. The Mirror can also reveal her secret weapon – a Hypoxi-therapy bike. As she pedals, Cheryl wears a high-waisted rubber skirt which, it’s claimed, boosts circulation and helps banish cellulite.
Worst Fashion Moment: It may have cost £110,000 and been designed by Roberto Cavalli but Cheryl’s diamante-encrusted wedding dress was one of the most unflattering examples of WAG bling. Style guru Gok Wan branded it “the worst of all-time”.
Fashion Turning Point: As Cheryl sashayed down the catwalk at Naomi Campbell’s charity show last month in a red Jean Paul Gaultier gown, she graduated to the position of fashion icon. Stylist Mark Heyes, who worked with her at the event, said: “It was the breakthrough moment, when the fashion crowd started taking her seriously."

Favourite Labels: Cheryl’s wardrobe is stuffed with A-list design pieces from Herve Leger, Roland Mouret and Matthew Williamson. Celebrity stylist Nick Ede, who is a friend of Girls Aloud, says: “Unlike Posh and Coleen, it looks effortless. Cheryl wears the clothes – not the other way around.” Now confident in her own style, Cheryl has been choosing most of her outfits for the live X Factor shows.
Shoes: Once seen only in clumpy trainers and Timberlands, Cheryl now boosts her height with killer stilettos by Christian Louboutin and boots from Dolce and Gabbana.
Hair: At first, Cheryl did her own hair – and it showed. DIY highlights only made her unflattering bob look worse. Now, with the help of stylist Lisa Laudat, she uses high-quality extensions and back-combing to re-create the 60s starlet look. Apparently, she has more extensions than any other celeb to create her style.
Teeth: At the start of her career, Cheryl’s smile was ruined by very uneven teeth. Since then, she has worn an invisible brace for two years and added porcelain veneers to even them up.
Make-up: Cheryl has dumped the harsh lipsticks for subtler pink shades. She gets a healthy glow using Mac Face and Body Foundation, while her lashes are coated with her favourite brand, L’Oreal Volume Shocking mascara.
Skincare: Her perfect skin was the first thing that judge Pete Waterman noticed at her Popstars: The Rivals audition – and Cheryl has used the same L’Oreal face wash for five years. She says: “Otherwise, I just make sure my face is clean and moisturised before I go to bed.”
Botox: The singer declares she doesn’t need it yet – and has no plans to use it in the future. “It hasn’t been around long enough for people to know what’s going to happen to their face in 20 years’ time.”
Plastic surgery: Cheryl says her body is still changing. Add to that the fact that she hates needles and operations, and it seems she won’t be altering anything for the foreseeable future.


The Harley Street Smile Clinic has transformed her look in recent years - especially since gettng her veneers. It was said in the press that she had only had braces to improve her smile, but it's quite clear that the lateral incisors are a lot bigger in size than they used to be. her veneers are quite nice although a little on the bulbous side when seen close up.