The Fashion Awards were a huge night - everyone who’s everyone from the Beckhams to Kendall Jenner to Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex turned up to celebrate fashion’s biggest and brightest stars.
Notably absent from the proceedings, though, was Cheryl. The former Girls Aloud star, whose latest single Love Made Me Do It didn’t quite provide the comeback that some were expecting, peaking at 19 in the UK charts, is now focusing on launching her BBC reality show.
Rather than going along to the Fashion Awards to big it up, she was a couple of miles away at a hotel, launching her new BBC reality show The Greatest Dancer alongside co-judges Matthew Morrison, Jordan Banjo, Oti Mabuse and Alesha Dixon.
The last time Cheryl made it to the Fashion Awards, she hit headlines for all the wrong reasons - a photograph of her in the toilets, taken by fashion reporter Laura Craik, was misconstrued by fans.
Captioned ‘Sadness in her eyes’, allegations were made that there was a white powder on the shelf in front of Cheryl. Laura soon deleted the post, and apologised to Cheryl via her PR, but was then faced with tabloid rumours that she’d alleged Cheryl was up to something that she really wasn’t. ‘Despite the fact that all my photo showed was a reflection on a mirrored surface — a chimera — the story rolled on all week,’ Laura later wrote.
Cheryl allegedly threatened legal action following the incident. Even though Craik never alleged anything of Cheryl, the singer is vocally anti-drug use.
Perhaps, maybe to avoid something remotely similar happening, Cheryl avoided the Fashion Awards altogether? Or maybe she wasn’t invited? Perhaps, she was just really keen to promote her new TV show, where contestants battle it out, dance-wise, to win. A bit like Strictly but with modern dance and fewer celebrities.
The news comes not very long after the announcement that L’Oreal and Cheryl had mutually decided to part ways. Cheryl said: ‘I have had an amazing experience as L’Oreal Paris’ UK spokesmodel for the past nine years and have loved working with the team over there. It always felt like more than a partnership and I would like to thank them all for the opportunities it has afforded me.’
The move now allows Cheryl to work closer with Easilocks, another hair product company