http://www.gardenofhope.co.uk/tree.php?v=6

Nicola Roberts has become involved in the Lowe Syndrome Trust ‘Garden of Hope’ campaign.

The Garden of Hope is a campaign to raise one million pounds within ten months for Lowe Syndrome research. The syndrome affects the brain, eyes, kidneys, bones and muscles sadly leading to a short life expectancy. Symptoms of the disease seem endless…cataracts, glaucoma, seizures, epilepsy, arthritis, scoliosis, weak bones and muscles, rickets, kidney wasting. Some children are blind, some never walk or talk dependent on the severity of the disease.

Click on a celebrity garden and place your leaf on the tree. Donate £5 and write a personal message. Your leaf will then be displayed on the tree. Of course you can add a leaf to more than one celebrity tree to help raise the money needed.

Nicola’s Garden of Hope is here: http://www.gardenofhope.co.uk/tree.php?v=6

To find out more about the charity please visit www.lowetrust.com

Girls Aloud star Nicola Roberts has said she struggled to cope with the band’s decision to go on hiatus.

The five-piece, who also feature Nadine Coyle, Cheryl Cole, Sarah Harding and Kimberley Walsh, announced a temporary separation in 2009 and are thought to be reuniting this year to mark their tenth anniversary.

Roberts has told Contact Music that making a solo album helped her get back to music.

She said: “Before I started making the album, I felt so frustrated that I wasn’t making music and I felt like I couldn’t see music in my life for a long time. I didn’t know how I was going to have music in my life until the band had another record.

“It really made me sad. I felt like I wanted to be a singer and I used to write little and then all of a sudden the band went on a break and management were trying to find different things for me to do, this TV work, that TV work, and it was just like, ‘This is really sad, actually.’ Really not sitting well with me at all.”

She continued: “I was frustrated and angry inside every day. That’s what the song ‘Fish Out of Water’ [from album Cinderella's Eyes] was about, what, am I supposed to just find another career because the band is on a break? That’s how I felt.”

Coyle has moved to the USA since the girls put the band on hold, whilst Harding has had low-key acting and presenting success, Walsh has joined the West End production of ‘Shrek: The Musical’ and Cole has achieved a significantly boosted profile through a judging gig on The X Factor and a successful solo career.

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The finalists will be given the chance to explode into the fashion world by designing outfits for some of the biggest, most fashion forward stars in showbusiness, whilst working alongside some of the most respected names in the fashion world.

If you think you’ve got what it takes and want to find out more, you just have to fill out the application form on the Sky Living website and send it by Sunday 5th February 2012.

We’ve some big news for Nicola and Rihanna fans…

Nicola has been handpicked by the one and only Rihanna to co-host a brand new fashion talent show for Sky Living HD!

With Rihanna as Executive Producer in this ambitious new show, Nicola will search the British fashion scene for the next generation of undiscovered designer talent.

Over ten weeks the unknown designers will be challenged by Rihanna and Nicola to create outfits for a string of musicians and celebrities. The final challenge and ultimate task for the winner will be to design a unique stage outfit for Rihanna’s Wireless performance in Hyde Park in July 2012.

Nicola Roberts said: “I am so excited to be working with Rihanna on finding a new British up and coming designer. I was so flattered when she asked me to work with her on this show. I’m so excited for us to get started on finding a new up and coming British designer who just needs a chance, a little bit of help in getting their skills noticed.

The series will premiere on Sky Living HD in summer 2012. We’re hooked already!

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Nicola Roberts has urged her fans to share any experiences of bullying in schools ahead of her meeting with Britain’s Secretary of State for Education next week.

The Girls Aloud singer has worked hard to highlight bullying in society after she was taunted in the early days of her career for her pale skin and ginger hair, and she lobbied for a meeting with politician Michael Gove during a TV interview last year.

She’s been granted her request and will meet with the education chief on Monday (23Jan12) – and she’s eager to highlight any issues her followers may be experiencing.

In a post on her Facebook.com page, Roberts writes, “Can you help me? On Monday I am finally meeting Michael Gove the Educational Secretary. I want to find out what methods are in place for young victims of bullying and I’d like to see if there is any way of us working together to come up with a better support system for young people who are being bullied.

“The more I know about what’s Really happening the more we can make a difference… Share your stories with me publicly here on my facebook page or privately email me here: TellNicola@yahoo.com.”

https://www.facebook.com/nicolarobertsmusic

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On Friday 13th (!) Nicola appeared on a childrens show on CBBC called ‘Friday Download.

She performed her single ‘Yo-Yo’ and took part in a little discussion called ‘Hot or Not’

If you missed it, check out the videos above.

Girls Aloud’s Nicola Roberts has thrown her weight behind a Barnardo’s campaign to place more homeless children with foster parents.

As part of the charity’s Fostering & Adoption Week, the singer has called for more people to help older children without families who are normally less likely to be adopted.

Nicola – who became an ambassador for the children’s charity last year – has spoken of the shortage of carers for those between the ages of 10 and 18 in an exclusive blog for us.

“When people think about children in care they generally think of babies and toddlers,” she said.

“But what many of us forget is that children can be in care up to the age of 18. And what many people also may not know is that there is a real shortage of carers for older children.”

Barnardo’s are hoping to find 9,000 new foster families over the next year and Nicola says she has been left heartbroken hearing the situations some of the children find themselves in.

“I often leave my Barnardo’s visits shaking my head because no young person should have to deal with what these kids deal with. It breaks my heart when I hear their stories.”

To find out more about Fostering & Adoption week or if you are interested in taking in a child, call 08000 277 280 or you go to the Barnardo’s website.

Read the full blog from Nicola HERE

Nicola appeared on Loose Women on Wednesday. She chatted to them about her solo career and the usual questions about Girls Aloud’s 10th Anniversary. She then performed ‘Yo-Yo’ live in the studio.

Click on the video links above to watch them on our video website, or download the HQs below thanks to Haltdef.

Download HQ – Performance || Interview

The Cinderella’s Eyes star admitted to being a big fan of the ITV drama and said she would happily sign up for a cameo appearance.

“I would love to be in it even if it was just for one episode,” she told the Daily Star. “It’s so amazing, I actually feel like it’s real life. My friends all think I’m really weird.”

Roberts has also declared she would be open to starring on EastEnders, suggesting that she could play the sister of Bianca Jackson (Patsy Palmer).

The 26-year-old has been thinking about possible roles after enjoying her “little bit of acting” in the video for latest single ‘Yo-Yo’.

“I wrote the story to the video and I had to kind of act the video a little bit,” she said. “I didn’t know if I was going to be able to do it, but actually I really enjoyed it.”

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‘Yo-Yo’, the brand new single from Nicola Roberts, is OUT NOW!

This third release from Nicola’s critically acclaimed debut solo album Cinderella’s Eyes, is co-written by Nicola with Dimitri Tikovoi and marries classic pop lyrics (“don’t want to be the last to know, will it be a yes or a no?”) to a pulsing, demented electro breakdown.

You can order an exclusive, signed, limited edition copy of the CD HERE. This unmissable EP features brilliant live versions of ‘Yo-Yo’, ‘Lucky Day’ and ‘I’, and both live and demo versions of ‘Sticks + Stones’.

What’s more, head over on iTunes NOW and get your hands on the ‘Yo-Yo’ live EP featuring live versions of of ‘Yo-Yo’, ‘I’, ‘Lucky Day’ and ‘Sticks + Stones’ from Nicola’s Engine Room Sessions. We’ve also got a special ‘Yo-Yo’ remix EP featuring 5 amazing versions of the track for just £1.99!

Pre-order the Live EP HERE
Pre-order the Remix EP HERE

And of course no single of Nicola’s would be complete without a kick-ass video to boot! Watch the full video for ‘Yo-Yo’ HERE

Nicola performed her 3rd solo single ‘Yo-Yo’ on T4 Saturday morning.

Watch the clip above or download the HQ on the forum

HQ Download