Girls Aloud are a UK girl group who were created out of TV talent show Popstars: The Rivals in 2002. Girls Aloud have achieved notable success, with eleven Top 10 hit singles (including two number ones) and three hit albums. They have also received unprecedented (for a pop group) praise from the 'serious' music press, with publications including the Observer and the NME giving rave reviews to their music.In 2002 a new UK talent search show called Popstars: The Rivals was launched, with the aim of creating a five-piece boy band and a five-piece girl band. Following the success of Hear'Say (winners of the original Popstars show), several thousand applicants attended auditions around the UK, hoping for a place in one of the groups. Ten men and ten women were selected from the auditions to go forward as finalists. However, before the first round of the finals two of the original female finalists were replaced: Hazel Kaneswaren was found to be too old to participate, whilst Nicola Ward refused to sign the contract. Two new finalists (Kimberly Walsh and Nicola Roberts) were chosen, and the show continued.During October and November, the finalists took to the stage every Saturday night, singing for their place in one of the two bands. One contestant was eliminated each week until the final line-ups emerged. The resulting female line-up became Girls Aloud, managed by Louis Walsh. The winning boy band was called One True Voice and was managed by Pete Waterman.In Christmas 2002 the two bands competed for the symbolic number one position in the Christmas Week UK's singles chart. Girls Aloud won with their single Sound of the Underground which then stayed at number one for four weeks. Disney Channel viewers later voted this as best single of 2002-2003 at the Disney Channel Kids Awards. Originally tipped to be more successful than the girls, One True Voice released just two singles, achieved little success and quickly disbanded.Subsequent careerGirls Aloud followed a debut single with the number 2 hit No Good Advice, proving that they weren't going to be one-hit wonders. This track went on to become one of the biggest of the year, and was also the first winner of the tongue-in-cheek Popjustice £20 Music Prize.Girls Aloud's debut album, Sound Of The Underground, was released in May 2003. Also released in 2003 were the singles Life Got Cold (number 3), and Jump (number 2) – a cover of a Pointer Sisters song, which featured on the soundtrack to the 2003 film Love Actually. Both were popular and helped to increase sales of the album, which went platinum after a re-issue at the end of the year.In 2003 band member Cheryl Tweedy was convicted of assaulting a nightclub toilet attendant and sentenced to community service. The victim had claimed the attack was racially motivated, but the singer was acquitted of this charge.The group's first 2004 single, The Show, also entered the singles chart at number 2, as did Love Machine – a track which became one of the year's most popular songs. Love Machine was nominated as ITV's Record Of The Year, but was beaten by Busted's Thunderbirds Are Go. They hit number 1 again with their next single, a cover of The Pretenders classic I'll Stand By You, released toward the end of November. This was the official single of the 2004 Children in Need appeal, helping to raise money for the charity. Love Machine went on to be used in adverts for Homebase, and was covered by the Arctic Monkeys on Radio 1's Live Lounge.Their second album, entitled What Will the Neighbours Say?, was released on November 29th 2004 and entered the album charts at number 6, going platinum in under one month. What Will the Neighbours Say? featured the production and song writing work of Xenomania, a British production house. The success of the album led to the girls announcing a tour for the following year.By the start 2005, Girls Aloud were at the height of fame. Not on