Scherzinger was born Nicole Prescovia Elikolani Valiente on June 29, 1978, in Honolulu, Hawai’i, to Alfonso Valiente of Filipino descent and Rosemary Elikolani Frederick of Native Hawaiian and Ukrainian descent. Her mother considered abortion as Scherzinger was conceived when she was 17 years old. After her father left the family at the age of two, Rosemary went on to marry German-American Gary Scherzinger, who adopted her, eventually taking her step-father’s surname. She has a younger sister, Keala. At age six, they moved for Louisville, Kentucky, where her mother was a clerk, and her step-father was a welder. Scherzinger describes her upbringing as difficult as she grew up “without much money” and supported her parents by being a waitress, taking local modelling jobs, and being part of an entertainment troupe of the local amusement park, Kentucky Kingdom. With her grandfather a priest, Scherzinger was raised as Roman Catholic and considered herself conservative with “really strong religious beliefs” and would go to church twice a week in order to make her mother proud.

At the age of 14, she enrolled in the Actors Theatre of Louisville, where she was cast in her first professional play, La Bête. She graduated in 1996 from the Youth Performing Arts School (YPAS) at duPont Manual High School, where she participated in many plays, including Alice in Wonderland, in which she portrayed Alice. Scherzinger was surprised she got the part as she was up “against a girl with blue eyes and blonde hair.” In 2007, she was inducted to DuPont Manual Alumni’s Hall of Fame as one of the youngest inductees. Since 2013, Scherzinger has endowed YPAS with a yearly $2,000, namesake scholarship. After earning a scholarship, she attended Wright State University and majored in theatre arts with a dance minor. During this period, Scherzinger garnered the lead roles in regional productions of the musicals Chicago, Guys and Dolls, and Show Boat. In her final year of college, Scherzinger was hired by Days of the New band leader Travis Meeks to contribute vocals on their self-titled second studio album. Meeks sought out a singer who could “deliver some more world/operatic textures and sounds.” The album’s supporting tour followed which led Scherzinger to drop out of college. Towards the tour’s conclusion, Meeks stated that the two grew apart creatively, claming she “didn’t seem to understand music very well” but noted she is an “amazing entertainer.” In 2018, Scherzinger received the 2017 Alumna of the Year Award from the Wright State Alumni Association.

In 2001, Scherzinger’s mother, saw a commercial for the WB’s television show Popstars USA, a reality series with the aim to chronicle the group’s formation until the recording of their debut album, Warner Bros. imprint London-Sire Records signed the group to a recording contract before the band was named and had finalized its membership, due to the hours of network television exposure the group would receive. Initially reluctant to audition, Scherzinger later opted otherwise as she saw it as an opportunity to travel to Los Angeles. For her audition she sang Whitney Houston’s version of Dolly Parton’s song “I Will Always Love You” and alongside Ana Maria Lombo, Maile Misajon, Ivette Sosa, and Rosanna Tavarez, established the girl group Eden’s Crush. Their debut single, “Get Over Yourself”, was released in March 2001 and debuted at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 and became the first female act to debut at number one on the Hot 100 Singles Sales chart. Their debut studio album, Popstars (2001), debuted at number six on the Billboard 200 chart. They went on to tour with ‘N Sync and Jessica Simpson, but, by the end of the year, their label went bankrupt and the group disbanded. During this time, will.i.am, front man of The Black Eyed Peas, approached Scherzinger to become a member of the group, but her then-boyfriend, Nick Hexum declined. Following the band’s dissolution, Scherzinger took a detour in acting and guest-starred in television shows such as My Wife and Kids (2002) and had a cameo in the independent comedy, Chasing Papi (2003).

In August 2003, opting for a solo recording contract, Scherzinger travelled to Arista Records office in New York with a demo CD, under her Hawaiian family name, Nicole Kea, of her own written material. Her performance was interrupted by a citywide blackout, and she was forced to leave. Meanwhile, Robin Antin, the creator of the burlesque troupe, the Pussycat Dolls, struck a joint venture with Interscope Records and along with record producers Jimmy Iovine and Ron Fair, launched an open audition for a separate recording group. After will.i.am recommended Scherzinger to Iovine, and in hopes to obtain a solo deal, she successfully auditioned in December 2003 along with Melody Thornton joining Carmit Bachar, Ashley Roberts, Jessica Sutta and Kimberly Wyatt. As the lead singer, Scherzinger assumed the majority of the vocals and is the only member of the group to have songwriting credits on their debut album, PCD which was released in September 2005. The album was preceded by “Don’t Cha” which became their international breakthrough, peaking at number two on the Billboard Hot 100. The album spawned other number-one hits, “Stickwitu” and “Buttons”, the latter of which was nominated for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards.

Described as the “driving force” behind The Pussycat Dolls, Scherzinger is credited for the result of the group’s international success in the music industry, during a time when girl groups were grossly underrepresented. With only two studio albums, the band became the best-selling girl group of the past decade, digital era, and fourth of all time. Since beginning her career with the group in 2003, Scherzinger has sold 54 million records worldwide, and another 16 million as a solo artist. Scherzinger has been given several pop culture titles, including, “Pop Princess” and the “Hawaiian Pop Goddess” becoming an international pop culture icon following her debut.

In February 2006, Scherzinger signed a global publishing agreement with Universal Music Publishing Group, which would cover her future songwriting. Her work as lead singer furthered Scherzinger’s popularity as she continued to work on her own music. Scherzinger’s first solo recording was a feature on Avant’s “Lie About Us” that was released in July 2006 and later collaborated with Diddy on “Come to Me” which became Scherzinger’s first solo top-ten hit on the US Billboard Hot 100. In March 2007, Scherzinger announced that her debut studio album would be titled Her Name is Nicole and was initially scheduled for a release in late summer. Four singles were released from the project—”Whatever U Like” featuring T.I., “Baby Love” featuring will.i.am, “Supervillain”, and “Puakenikeni”—however, all failed to make any significant impact on the Billboard charts, although “Baby Love” was a moderate success in international territories. After a number of push backs, Scherzinger decided not to release any further singles from the album and at her request, Her Name Is Nicole was eventually shelved and shifted back her focus on the Doll’s second album.

The Pussycat Dolls’ second and final album, Doll Domination was released in the United States on September 23, 2008 and peaked at number four on the Billboard 200. The album included singles “When I Grow Up” and “I Hate This Part” which peaked at number nine and eleven on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively. Both songs were originally recorded for Scherzinger’s solo effort. The following year, the group embarked on a worldwide concert tour, Doll Domination Tour which began on January 18, 2009. While on tour, Scherzinger was asked to re-write pop version of “Jai Ho” from the film Slumdog Millionaire (2008). The song was entitled “Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny)” crediting A. R. Rahman and the Pussycat Dolls while Scherzinger was credited as a featured artist causing dissatisfaction within the group. The song reached number one in 17 countries; in the US, it peaked at number fifteen on the Billboard Hot 100, after charging eighty-five places consequently making the largest weekly leap from number 100. On April 5, 2009, Scherzinger performed “America the Beautiful” at Wrestlemania XXV, at the Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas. After the tour concluded in August 2009, the group announced a hiatus to further pursue solo careers. In December 2009, Scherzinger was announced as the third judge joining Ben Folds and Boyz II Men band member Shawn Stockman on the first season of The Sing-Off. She returned for the second season before being replaced by Sara Bareilles.

In April 2010, Scherzinger teamed up with clothing store C&A to launch her own collection of lingerie, shoes, handbags and jewelry in Brazilian stores. The following month, Scherzinger and her dance partner Derek Hough won the tenth season of Dancing with the Stars. In August 2010, Scherzinger portrayed Maureen in the Hollywood Bowl production of the rock musical Rent, directed by Neil Patrick Harris. Her performance in the musical received praise from critics, Charles McNulty of the Los Angeles Times stated that “Scherzinger’s powerhouse voice was meant for venues like the Bowl.” Meanwhile, following the departure of the four members, Scherzinger announced her exit from the Pussycat Dolls to focus on her solo career.

Following the 2010 Haiti earthquake, along with various other artists, she was featured on the charity single “We Are the World 25 for Haiti”, and participated in George Clooney’s and Wyclef Jean’s Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief telethon which benefited people affected by the tragedy. In October 2010 she portrayed Trixie at the 35th anniversary concert of The Rocky Horror Picture Show which raised money for the Painted Turtle, a Hole in the Wall Foundation camp for kids with serious medical conditions. Inspired by her aunt who has Down syndrome, she became a global ambassador for the Special Olympics and recorded “O Holy Night” for A Very Special Christmas (2013) with all proceeds benefiting the organization. Since 2014 Scherzinger is an UNICEF UK supporter and has traveled to Guyana, Manila, Philippines, and Kenya, where she visited the organization’s supported centers benefiting children in poverty. She later performed “Brave” with the SU2C choir for Stand Up 2 Cancer to raise money for cancer research on October 17, 2014.

Her debut studio album, Killer Love, was released on March 21, 2011 in the United Kingdom. The album experienced moderate success in certain territories; on the UK Albums Chart the album debuted and peaked at number eight and by November it sold over 140,000 copies. The album’s second single, “Don’t Hold Your Breath” became Scherzinger’s first number-one single as a solo artist in the UK Singles Chart and singles, “Poison” and “Right There” both reached number three. The latter one was remixed featuring 50 Cent and released as the lead single for the US version of Killer Love; however the release was never materialized. It peaked at number thirty-nine, remaining her highest charting single on the Billboard Hot 100 as a lead artist. Originally hired to co-host along with Steve Jones first season of The X Factor US, Scherzinger received notoriety for replacing Cheryl Cole as a judge. She later received further backlash and death threats after sending the result to deadlock in the quarter-final which resulted in Rachel Crow’s elimination. She mentored the Over 30s; her final act, Josh Krajcik, was named the runner-up of the season. In December 2011, as part of the 25th anniversary of The Phantom of the Opera, Scherzinger performed the song of the same name at the Royal Variety Performance. Meanwhile, Killer Love was re-released with four additional songs, including the fifth and final single, “Try with Me”. She embarked on her first headlining tour in February 2012.

Scherzinger has developed an image as a sex symbol and “one of the hottest women on the planet.” Since 2006 has been featured on FHM’s “100 Sexiest Women” list peaking at number nine in 2011 and 2014. In 2012, VH1 ranked her the eight on their list of “100 Sexiest Artists”, while Complex magazine ranked her the twenty-ninth on their list of “The 100 Hottest Female Singers of All Time”.

In cooperation with Unilever, Scherzinger recorded Duran Duran’s “Rio” (1982). In December 2011, Scherzinger began endorsing the imPress Nails manicure line and has her own signature series. From 2012 to 2014, Scherzinger was the ambassador for Herbal Essences. In March 2013, she was announced as an ambassador for British Airways promoting first class routes to Moscow. In April 2013, it was announced that Scherzinger will be the face of Müller Corner, a range of luxury yogurts and front TV and print campaigns. In September 2014, Scherzinger joined Proactiv+ as the new celebrity ambassador for the skin care company.

Scherzinger appeared as Boris’ girlfriend in the science fiction action film Men in Black 3, which was released in May 2012. In June 2012, Scherzinger was announced as a judge for the ninth series of The X Factor UK for a reported salary of $1.17 million. Scherzinger mentored the Boys category; both of her acts, James Arthur and Jahméne Douglas, reached the final, with Arthur winning the series. Scherzinger performed “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” live at the Andrew Lloyd Webber: 40 Musical Years tribute show. In March 2013, Scherzinger released “Boomerang” which debuted and peaked at number six on the UK Singles Chart; after its lackluster success, the associated album was scrapped. Scherzinger returned as judge on The X Factor UK for its tenth series for a reported salary of $2.3 million.

She admits it is “frustrating” to read about the media’s portrayal of her as “a man-eater”. Scherzinger has been linked to a number of different men, but insists none of the rumors are true. In July 2013, Scherzinger posed semi-nude for a “Protect the Skin You’re In” T-shirt, part of a campaign by fashion designer Marc Jacobs to raise awareness and cash for melanoma research. All sales benefit the NYU Cancer Institute and NYU Langone Medical Center. The outfits she wore as a Pussycat Doll and sexual dance moves they performed has continued ever since she embarked on her solo career. Scherzinger said: “I think I am able to handle myself in a good manner and hopefully I’m a positive role model for other girls out there.” Scherzinger also wore the first Twitter dress at the EE launch party.

Scherzinger has received many accolades throughout her career. In February 2013, Scherzinger was honored by the Harvard Foundation as “2013 Artist of the Year” for her contributions in performing arts, support for breast cancer research and initiatives for adults and children with special needs. In April 2013, she was awarded with the “Outstanding Achievement in Music Award” at the Asian Awards for “inspiring achievements in the fields of business, sport, entertainment, philanthropy and popular arts and culture”. She has been hailed as one of the sexiest artists. In 2013, Fuse included Scherzinger on the list of 50 Girls Who Run the World, and the Top 100 Pop Breakthroughs.

In January 2014, Scherzinger signed with Sony Music Entertainment for a reported $4.5 million record deal. The following month, she announced she signed a multi-album deal with RCA Records. In collaboration with online fashion retailer Missguided, she designed a 30-piece range which was released in March 2014. Their collaboration helped the retailer increase profit by 70%. Scherzinger’s second studio album, Big Fat Lie was released in October; on the UK Albums Chart it spent two weeks inside the top 100 peaking at number 17; its poor sales led to her departure from RCA Records. The album was preceded by the singles “Your Love”, “Run” and “On the Rocks”; the foremost peaked at number six on the UK Singles Chart and was a moderate success on other international markets. In December, Scherzinger made her West End debut starring as Grizabella in the 2014 revival of the musical Cats at the London Palladium where she played the role for a 12-week run until February 8, 2015; her performance received rave reviews from critics particularly praising her rendition of the song standard “Memory” and garnered a Laurence Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical. She was set to reprise Grizabella in the Broadway revival of Cats but a week before rehearsals she quit after producers refused to give her top billing.

On June 30, 2015, Scherzinger was crowned as the winner of the variety show I Can Do That where six celebrities compete with each other by performing skills that they never knew they had. In July she performed the American national anthem at the A Capitol Fourth concert in Washington, D.C. and during the opening of the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games. Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris, a live variety show premiered on September 15, 2015 on NBC with Scherzinger as co-host; the show was cancelled after one season due to low ratings. The following month, the music panel show hosted by Ricky Wilson, Bring the Noise premiered on Sky 1 with Scherzinger and Tinie Tempah joining him as team captains. After a 3-year break from The X Factor UK, Scherzinger returned as a judge for the thirteenth and fourteenth series, replacing Rita Ora. She voiced Sina in the animated feature Moana, which was released in November 2016 through Walt Disney Pictures. Scherzinger starred as Penny in ABC’s television film Dirty Dancing, a remake of the 1987 film of the same name. It premiered on May 24, 2017. Although the movie received negative reviews from critics, Scherzinger’s performance received praise. In September 2017, she launched her debut fragrance, Chosen by Nicole Scherzinger. In 2018, Scherzinger had a voice cameo in Ralph Breaks the Internet.

Scherzinger considers herself shy and keeps her personal life to herself and declines to answer questions in interviews that pertain to her relationships. When asked, Scherzinger states “my music is the only place I’m open [to]. Scherzinger was engaged to Nick Hexum, lead singer of 311, whom she dated from 2000 to 2004. Scherzinger commenced a high-profile relationship with Formula 1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton, after meeting at the 2007 MTV Europe Music Awards in Munich. Their on and off relationship of seven years was a tabloid fixture in the British press. They separated for the final time in February 2015. In 2016, she was involved in a romantic relationship with Bulgarian tennis player Grigor Dimitrov that ended in early 2019. It was announced in January 2020 that Scherzinger had begun a relationship with former Scottish rugby player Thom Evans. In late 2012, Scherzinger spoke of her experiences with bulimia at the height of the Pussycat Dolls popularity. Struggling with body dysmorphia, an early photoshoot with the group triggered her bulimic behavior, that lasted nearly a decade. She eventually overcame the disorder through therapists and life coaches.

Scherzinger along with numerous other artists were featured on the single “Love Song to the Earth”, which was released in September 2015 ahead of the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference, as part of the global campaign to raise awareness on climate change. In September 2016, Scherzinger along with numerous other artists were featured on the remake of the Black Eyed Peas song “Where Is the Love?” where all proceeds went towards will.i.am’s non-profit foundation, i.am.angel Foundation. In August 2019, she took part in the protests against the building of the Thirty Meter Telescope on Mauna Kea; a place considered a holy spiritual site for native Hawaiians.

On November 29, 2016 Scherzinger was announced as the new face of Perfectil, a vitamin product. She featured in a television commercial for Vitabiotics’ new Perfectil advertising campaign in March 2017.

Scherzinger endorsed Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign; she appeared in the music video for will.i.am’s song, “Yes We Can” (2008), which was inspired by Obama’s speech after the 2008 New Hampshire primary. She considers herself as anti-abortion, and avoids identifying herself a feminist arguing, “I’m just for women. I’m also for the human race in general.” She is a supporter of LGBTQ rights and in 2017, through Billboard, Scherzinger published a “love letter” to the LGBTQ community in which she praised the community for “standing strong against adversity and [for being] a community that unites for change.”

Scherzinger began 2019 with appearing as a panelist on The Masked Singer; a reality singing competition where celebrities sing covers of famous songs while wearing costumes that conceal their identities. The program’s premiere was the highest-rated unscripted television series debut in the United States since The X Factor US in 2011, and has since been a ratings success for the network. In May 2019, Scherzinger was announced as a judge on the ninth season of Australia’s Got Talent. Between October to December 2019, she appeared as judge on The X Factor spin-off’s Celebrity and The Band. On the finale of The X Factor: Celebrity, the Pussycat Dolls, comsisting of Sutta, Bachar, Roberts, Scherzinger, and Wyatt, reunited with a live medley performance of their previous singles and their new song, “React”. British media regulator Ofcom received over 400 complaints from viewers who criticized the band’s perceived provocative nature of their performance.

The third season of The Masked Singer premiered in February 2020 as the Super Bowl LIV lead-out program and was viewed by over 27.3 million people—the series’ most watched episode. The Pussycat Dolls’ “React” was released in the same month, to moderate success. Their tour, originally scheduled to begin in April 2020, was postponed to May 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.