The ‘main character’ curse that’s torn apart bands & earns Cheryl £2k more per Insta post than Girls Aloud bandmates
AFTER 11 years of separation, there’s no surprise that people are going wild to see Girls Aloud back on tour.
Nadine Coyle, Nicola Roberts, Kimberley Walsh and Cheryl have been touring the UK for the past month, and whilst they’ve all established their own careers outside of the band, it turns out that they are the latest in a long line of girl bands who have fallen victim to the ‘main character energy’ curse – where one member is much more financially successful than the rest.
Research conducted by CSGOLuck has found that Cheryl, who has a staggering 3.4million followers on Instagram – almost three million more than bandmate Nicola Roberts – could be making an average £3,345 per sponsored post, over £2,000 more than her fellow bandmates.
Fabulous spoke to Brand and Culture Expert Nick Ede to find out more about this ‘curse’, as Nick told Fabulous: “The star that stands out usually has a big fan base who identify with them – or they have been pushed to the front, offered solos in the group and are always the spokesperson.
“Stars like Cheryl and Nicole will get royalties for many years from their songs and writing credentials.
“They will also get money from airplay and for their beauty campaigns, image usage will gain them thousands in residuals.”
After Girls Aloud went on hiatus in March 2013, Cheryl, now 40, scored a record-breaking five Number one singles – the most by any British female solo star ever until Jess Glynne surpassed it – and four Top 10 albums.
Meanwhile, Nicola has used her star power to draw attention to issues important to her, having teamed up with MP Julie Morgan to pass a bill banning under-18s from using sunbeds.
In 2011, she also released a solo album called Cinderella’s Eyes and in 2020, Nicola was crowned winner of ITV’s The Masked Singer as Queen Bee.
Kimberley competed on TV, finishing as a runner-up on 2012’s instalment of Strictly Come Dancing.
The star also portrayed Princess Fiona in a West End production of Shrek that same year.
Nadine tried her hand at a solo career, releasing her debut album Insatiable in 2010 and in 2019, released the song Fool for Love.
Tragically, the fifth member of Girls Aloud, Sarah Harding, died in September 2021 aged 39 after being diagnosed with breast cancer.
At the time of the band’s separation, it was reported that Girls Aloud parted on ‘terrible’ terms, after Nadine hinted she tried to prevent their break-up.
A source told The Mirror: “They have parted on terrible terms. The girls hadn’t seen much of US-based Nadine until they reunited for the tour and now it doesn’t look like they’ll ever see much of her once she’s gone back to LA.
“As soon as Sarah [Harding] saw the tweet she called Nadine to say how angry she was. The tweet made it look like the girls went behind Nadine’s back to make the decision.”
The insider added: “The plan had always been to split after the tour. Nadine also felt the sharp end of Cheryl’s tongue. Nadine’s behaviour has left a bitter taste in everyone’s mouth.”
Girls Aloud Net Worths
IT'S no surprise that the Girls Aloud stars are worth millions - but below are the estimated net worths of the successful popstars:
Cheryl Cole – £29 million
Although Cheryl, who lives in a £3.7m Buckinghamshire mansion with her son Bear, seemingly prefers to live a quieter life out of the media spotlight, according to Nick: “Cheryl can make at least £1 Million from a UK tour, new single and album and personal appearances and endorsements as part of the band.
“She loves to perform as it’s her first love and getting back with the girls will connect her once again with her fans but also make her a top earner again.”
Nadine Coyle – £10 million
Nadine spends her time between America and the UK and lives in an effortlessly stylish home that features cream walls, lavish fireplaces and granite worktops.
She lives with her daughter Anaiya, who she shares with ex-partner Jason Bell, and the lounge has a large open fireplace and an engraved mantelpiece.
Nicola Roberts – £10 million
When it comes to Nicola spending her cash, she’s often seen on holiday, after trips to Sardinia and New York.
Kimberley Walsh – £7.8 million
Kimberley Walsh lives in a jaw-dropping million-pound Surrey mansion with her husband Justin Scott and their three sons.
It has a huge garden, a stunning kitchen, a gorgeous balcony, and a huge black gate to ward off intruders.
The ‘popular’ one
But it’s not just Cheryl who has seen her star power rise above that of her fellow bandmates.
Nick explained: “Remember, there are a lot of wheels that are put in motion to make a group and that longevity is usually for a few years rather than decades, so teams are always looking to see who will be the stand out celebrity from the group and make them and the people around them a lot of money.”
Although Camila Cabello leaving Fifth Harmony went down on less than amicable terms with the other girls, it seems to have worked out for the best for her.
Her single Havana was Number 1 in the UK for five weeks, and she’s added 11 more Top 40s to her solo haul, including her chart-topping collaboration with Shawn Mendes, Senorita.
The same happened to Beyonce, who went onto meteoric levels of success after Destiny’s Child went on hiatus in 2001. Since then, she’s racked up nine Number 1 singles, and of her 35 Top 40 hits, 19 of her singles have made the Top 10.
According to Nick: “Other solo stars like Beyonce have so much coming in, not only from their music but from fashion collaborations, fragrance deals and hair and make-up campaigns.”
In much the same way, The Pussycat Dolls launched a huge career in showbiz for lead singer Nicole Scherzinger, with the Hawaiian-born star front-and-centre for pretty much all of their eight top 10s.
Although Don’t Cha and Stickwitu were Number 1 hits, Nicole decided not to stickwitthem and instead gave solo life a try – and later signed with Sony Music Entertainment for a reported £3.5 million record deal.
Not only was Nicole on a reported salary of £900k when she became a permanent judge on the first season of The X Factor US, but she returned the following year for a whopping salary of £1.7million.
As well as this, after Mis-Teeq split in 2003, the breakout star Alesha Dixon, well known for her unforgettable MC skills, really came into her own.
Not only did she have seven Top 40s, with her 2009 track Breathe Slow at number three, but she’s also added Strictly Come Dancing winner-turned-judge and Britain’s Got Talent judge to her resume too.
‘Too big for the group’
To explore the ‘main character energy curse’ in more depth, Nick Ede, revealed all about previous track records with girl bands.
The PR expert told Fabulous: “There will always (with one exception) be a stand out star in any group and there are many factors for this.
Fans realistically can’t love all the members of the group
Nick Ede
“It may be as simple as that person putting them together as Beyonce did with the original four-piece of Destiny‘s Child. She was always the one in the front due to the fact it was her group.
“With the Pussycat Dolls, Robin Antin put together the girls around Nicole Scherzinger and this is a regular occurrence – in many groups from Diana Ross to Gladys Knight there has always been this trend.
“One of the factors is that fans realistically can’t love all the members of the group so you have to concentrate on one and although Girls Aloud were voted for by the general public, all eyes were on Cheryl when they went on a break and she was the one that focused on her music career with great success.”
Brands and marketing agencies also play a part in the popularity of singular stars from pop groups
Nick Ede
Nick recognised the one band that didn’t fall victim to the ‘main character energy’ curse, as he added: “One of the only groups to have fans equally for every member are The Spice Girls.
“All of them had solo careers and all of them had a huge fan base as from the outset there was never a front person in the group, everything was evenly spread out and so fans supported each of their solo work.”
Where talent is concerned, Nick shared: “There is no denying that to make it as big as the girl groups are means that they are all talented.
“But when you have the X Factor like Beyonce and Nicole, they become almost too big for the groups and all eyes are on them and inevitably they will go solo.”
As well as this, Nick highlighted how brands can play a part in the process too, as he explained: “Brands and marketing agencies also play a part in the popularity of singular stars from pop groups.
“They can offer one of the talent money to become a brand ambassador and elevate their fame due to using them to endorse products.
“They will be offered a lot of money in return for using their likeness in ad campaigns and for promotional use.
“More importantly they will want to use a talent they perceive will make the biggest impact and sell the most product etc this can be based on many factors – looks, ethnicity, social media following etc.”
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