When Girls Aloud burst onto screens in 2002, Nicola Roberts, with her fiery hair, quickly stood out. Her story begins right here in Runcorn, where she was born and raised, attending St Chad’s High School before making her mark in pop history.

Before “Sound of the Underground” topped charts, Nicola fronted an early group dubbed The Five Musketeers, a formative musical experiment that laid the groundwork for her Popstars The Rivals breakthrough.

There’s talk, largely anecdotal, of Nicola working behind the bar in the Railway Pub, a stone’s throw from Runcorn station. You will see it’s now a day nursery. While not verified in major interviews, this tale endures locally as a humble stop‐gap rooted in her working-class beginnings.  Locals still whisper that she once poured pints before pouring her heart into Girls Aloud.

Since then, Nicola’s career has morphed to a solo artist (Cinderella’s Eyes), advocate (championing bans on under-18 tanning beds), and Masked Singer UK champion. In 2025–26 she’s earned acclaim on the West End stage in Hadestown.

It’s this blend of local grit and global glamour that cements Nicola’s bond with Runcorn. Whether passing through Runcorn station, or headlining the O2, she remains at heart a Runcorn girl.