Cheeky Girls star swaps pop fame for selling cars in Yorkshire

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 19 Oct, 11:01 · Archive

Gabriela Irimia, one half of the Cheeky Girls, has moved into car sales at a Hyundai dealership in York. The pop duo rose to fame on Popstars: The Rivals in 2002 alongside judge Pete Waterman. Their debut single 'Cheeky Song (Touch My Bum)' reached number two on the UK charts in December 2002 and sold 1.2 million copies worldwide, followed by two more top-three hits and an album called PartyTime.

The twins, originally from Romania, have spoken publicly about struggling with depression and eating disorders during their time in the music industry. Irimia told ITV's Lorraine in 2016 that the duo 'didn't have control over our life at all, over our career', leading her to focus on what she could control.

Irimia told The Sun in 2021 that she wanted to 'learn the ropes' in the car industry with hopes of one day opening her own showroom. She described selling a car as feeling like 'I've won the lottery'. She is now enjoying a quieter life away from the pressures of the music industry.

How it is being reported

• Cheeky Girls star Gabriela Irimia swaps pop fame for selling cars in YorkshireA world famous popstar who had a string of top chart hits is selling cars in Yorkshire.Telegraph & Argus · 19 Oct, 10:31
• Cheeky Girls star Gabriela Irimia swaps pop fame for selling cars in YorkshireA world famous popstar who had a string of top chart hits is selling cars in Yorkshire.Keighley News · 19 Oct, 10:31

In this story: Gabriela Irimia · Monica Irimia · Cheeky Girls · York · Romania

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem