X Factor stars pick up women awards
X Factor rivals Tulisa Contostavlos and Nicole Scherzinger both had cause for celebration after landing gongs at the Cosmopolitan Ultimate Women of the Year Awards.
The singers took time out from mentoring this year’s finalists to celebrate at a lavish ceremony at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum last night.
The former N-Dubz star was presented with the Ultimate TV Personality award while ex-Pussycat Doll Scherzinger was named Ultimate Fun Fearless Female.
Cheryl Cole, who was replaced by Contostavlos as a judge on the UK X Factor, and by Scherzinger on the US X Factor judging panel, won Ultimate Pop Star.
The winner of the Editor’s Choice award was Stephanie Kercher, whose sister Meredith Kercher was brutally murdered in Perugia, Italy, five years ago.
Stephanie has since devoted herself to supporting her parents in their fight for justice.
As the only Italian speaker in the family, she has travelled back and forth to Italy to liaise with the Kerchers’ legal representatives and has given up her job and moved back to Surrey to be closer to her parents.
Collecting her award, Stephanie said she had “a lot of mixed emotions”.
She said: “I’m very pleased to be here. I dedicated my award to my sister and I hope to keep her memory alive and keep going for her really.”
She added: “My parents are very proud. It’s a nice award for everyone, especially with the fifth anniversary (of Meredith’s death) this week.”
Judges for the real-life categories at the awards included Fearne Cotton, Britain’s Got Talent panellist Alesha Dixon, Professor Green, Katie Piper and Karren Brady from The Apprentice.
Following Britain’s triumphant Olympic summer, gold-medal winner Jessica Ennis was awarded the title of Ultimate Olympian while silver-medalist Louis Smith, currently starring in Strictly Come Dancing, was declared 2012’s Ultimate Hottie.
Multiple gold medal-winning swimmer and cyclist Sarah Storey was named Ultimate Paralympian.
Vicky McClure, star of This Is England and Line Of Duty, won the title of Ultimate UK TV Actress while Ultimate Film Actress went to The Hunger Games star Jennifer Lawrence. Fresh Meat’s Zawe Ashton won the Ultimate Newcomer award.
Reality TV stars the Kardashian sisters – Kourtney, Kim and Khloe – were named Ultimate Confidence Queens and TV presenter Kelly Osbourne won the Ultimate Style Icon award.
Chart-topping boyband One Direction were named the Ultimate Men of the Year.
Singer Harry Styles said in a video message: “We cannot believe we’ve been voted Ultimate Men of the Year because most people still say that we’re boys.”
