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Cher Lloyd lives the pop star dream in the US | The Sun |Showbiz|TV|X Factor
She hooked up with Lil Wayne while recording in Miami, Florida, before flying west to Los Angeles ten days ago to work with different artists and producers.
Love her or loathe her, the kid from the council house in Malvern, Worcs, is definitely looking - and acting - like an international pop star. And all this before she has even released a single.
The Sun caught up with Cher on the famous Sunset Strip in LA for her first interview since The X Factor.
She was still breathless with excitement after meeting Lil Wayne - a controversial rapper, real name Dwayne Carter, who has been charged for drugs and weapons offences in the past.
Cher said: "Meeting Lil Wayne was actually the best day of my life. I'll never ever forget it.
Teen rap sensation ... Cher Lloyd
"The same people who took the mickey out of me at school loved Lil Wayne and now I am chilling with him in the studio."
The skinny teenager has also been recording with Lady GaGa's producer RedOne - real name Nadir Khayat - who has made Cher his No1 priority for 2011.
RedOne said: "There are created stars and creative stars. Cher's a creative star - she's amazing."
Cher also revealed she is in talks to bring out her own clothing line. She said: "I want to create a range, hip-hop style, creative, out-there - but very affordable."
The only negative for Cher is that she can't seem to put on any weight - even in the US, where the portions are super-sized.
Cher is very sensitive about her tiny size 6 frame and is desperate to fill out to silence her critics.
She said: "My big insecurity is that I am too small. I see girls with curves and I'd do anything to be like that. I'm trying. I eat all the time.
"I like a full-on Chinese, everything covered in sweet and sour sauce - with chips! I could eat that every day.
"But I think it's bad people criticise me, a 17-year-old girl, about my figure."
On a more reflective note, she continued: "If I could have done one thing differently I'd have waited until I was older before getting into this industry. I'd get so frightened of people saying hurtful things I'd put up a barrier, saying, 'I don't care and then they can't hurt me'.
Catch-up ... Cher Lloyd and Pete Samson
"But I do care and it does hurt. Because of my style, I come across as hard and in your face. But I'm not like that."
Cher remains very grateful to Simon Cowell for giving her a chance on the show and signing her to his Syco label.
And she denied reports the pair have clashed over her artistic path, adding: "I wouldn't be here without him. Simon gets me and he's got my back. He knows me too well to give me rules - he likes the fact I'm a bit rebellious!"
It is amazing just how self-confident Cher appears in the super-slick surroundings of LA.
Her current lifestyle is a million miles away from her pre-X Factor existence in the backwater of Malvern with mum Dina and dad Darren. Cher admits her drive is fuelled by the childhood bullies who branded her a "gippo" and mocked her dream to become a rapper.
She said: "I grew up in a council house. We were outcasts because we were poorer. I have Romany roots and I'm proud of that.
"I walked everywhere because I didn't want to get in dad's car because it was like a tin can. People would call me council girl or gippo. I never hit them back but I always said to myself, 'One day... '.
"Now I feel like my day is coming. When I first arrived in LA I was in the penthouse suite at the Mondrian hotel.
"It was just ridiculous. I wanted my mum and dad here so they could experience it with me."
Talking about her distinctive look - featuring Dr Martens boots, lumberjack shirts and red hair - she insists she is High Street rather than haute couture. Cher said: "I'd rather wear Primark than Prada. I'd rather spend my money making my family happy. I'm saving everything I've got to move my family away."
X Factor viewers watched as Cher clung on to get into the finals despite voting controversies. But the public's criticism was the least of her concerns when she was hit by a family tragedy.
During the live shows Cher's uncle Edward died aged just 34. She said: "I had to go on stage the next day - I sang Shakespears Sister's Stay for him.
"I was really close to him. Before I even auditioned for The X Factor he would say, 'Here's our little Cheryl Cole'. He collected all of my newspaper cuttings and framed them all. I am still hurting a lot." Cher was dealt another blow earlier this month when she read in The Sun that her boyfriend Karim Roundi, 20, had been cheating on her.
She revealed: "It was very hurtful. It made me aware I can't just jump into a relationship and trust people - not now.
"Whenever I meet a boy I take them home to my dad. It made it more hurtful as he got my dad's approval."
When it comes to romance, Cher still has her eyes on fellow X Factor contestant Aiden Grimshaw, 19.
One direction ... RedOne
The pair were rumoured to have got together during the show and she admitted: "Aiden is my perfect guy. I'd get married to him. He and I are two very different people but he is so quirky.
"He makes me laugh all the time - and my dad loves him!" The pair keep in touch and Cher can't wait to join him on the X Factor tour next month - but the same can't be said of all the contestants. Laughing, she said: "I'm not looking forward to seeing Wagner again - I want an injunction against him! He creeps me out. Hopefully he will fall off stage and not be able to perform his latest Pavarotti impression."
But Cher is just excited to not have to perform alone in her bedroom any more. She said: "I always wanted to rap but never really had the guts to do it because I'm just a skinny white girl.
"Then aged 13 I started rapping secretly because I didn't know whether people would accept me - some people still don't."
She hooked up with Lil Wayne while recording in Miami, Florida, before flying west to Los Angeles ten days ago to work with different artists and producers.
Love her or loathe her, the kid from the council house in Malvern, Worcs, is definitely looking - and acting - like an international pop star. And all this before she has even released a single.
The Sun caught up with Cher on the famous Sunset Strip in LA for her first interview since The X Factor.
She was still breathless with excitement after meeting Lil Wayne - a controversial rapper, real name Dwayne Carter, who has been charged for drugs and weapons offences in the past.
Cher said: "Meeting Lil Wayne was actually the best day of my life. I'll never ever forget it.
Teen rap sensation ... Cher Lloyd"The same people who took the mickey out of me at school loved Lil Wayne and now I am chilling with him in the studio."
The skinny teenager has also been recording with Lady GaGa's producer RedOne - real name Nadir Khayat - who has made Cher his No1 priority for 2011.
RedOne said: "There are created stars and creative stars. Cher's a creative star - she's amazing."
Cher also revealed she is in talks to bring out her own clothing line. She said: "I want to create a range, hip-hop style, creative, out-there - but very affordable."
The only negative for Cher is that she can't seem to put on any weight - even in the US, where the portions are super-sized.
Cher is very sensitive about her tiny size 6 frame and is desperate to fill out to silence her critics.
She said: "My big insecurity is that I am too small. I see girls with curves and I'd do anything to be like that. I'm trying. I eat all the time.
"I like a full-on Chinese, everything covered in sweet and sour sauce - with chips! I could eat that every day.
"But I think it's bad people criticise me, a 17-year-old girl, about my figure."
On a more reflective note, she continued: "If I could have done one thing differently I'd have waited until I was older before getting into this industry. I'd get so frightened of people saying hurtful things I'd put up a barrier, saying, 'I don't care and then they can't hurt me'.
Catch-up ... Cher Lloyd and Pete Samson"But I do care and it does hurt. Because of my style, I come across as hard and in your face. But I'm not like that."
Cher remains very grateful to Simon Cowell for giving her a chance on the show and signing her to his Syco label.
And she denied reports the pair have clashed over her artistic path, adding: "I wouldn't be here without him. Simon gets me and he's got my back. He knows me too well to give me rules - he likes the fact I'm a bit rebellious!"
It is amazing just how self-confident Cher appears in the super-slick surroundings of LA.
Her current lifestyle is a million miles away from her pre-X Factor existence in the backwater of Malvern with mum Dina and dad Darren. Cher admits her drive is fuelled by the childhood bullies who branded her a "gippo" and mocked her dream to become a rapper.
She said: "I grew up in a council house. We were outcasts because we were poorer. I have Romany roots and I'm proud of that.
"I walked everywhere because I didn't want to get in dad's car because it was like a tin can. People would call me council girl or gippo. I never hit them back but I always said to myself, 'One day... '.
"Now I feel like my day is coming. When I first arrived in LA I was in the penthouse suite at the Mondrian hotel.
"It was just ridiculous. I wanted my mum and dad here so they could experience it with me."
Talking about her distinctive look - featuring Dr Martens boots, lumberjack shirts and red hair - she insists she is High Street rather than haute couture. Cher said: "I'd rather wear Primark than Prada. I'd rather spend my money making my family happy. I'm saving everything I've got to move my family away."
X Factor viewers watched as Cher clung on to get into the finals despite voting controversies. But the public's criticism was the least of her concerns when she was hit by a family tragedy.
During the live shows Cher's uncle Edward died aged just 34. She said: "I had to go on stage the next day - I sang Shakespears Sister's Stay for him.
"I was really close to him. Before I even auditioned for The X Factor he would say, 'Here's our little Cheryl Cole'. He collected all of my newspaper cuttings and framed them all. I am still hurting a lot." Cher was dealt another blow earlier this month when she read in The Sun that her boyfriend Karim Roundi, 20, had been cheating on her.
She revealed: "It was very hurtful. It made me aware I can't just jump into a relationship and trust people - not now.
"Whenever I meet a boy I take them home to my dad. It made it more hurtful as he got my dad's approval."
When it comes to romance, Cher still has her eyes on fellow X Factor contestant Aiden Grimshaw, 19.
One direction ... RedOneThe pair were rumoured to have got together during the show and she admitted: "Aiden is my perfect guy. I'd get married to him. He and I are two very different people but he is so quirky.
"He makes me laugh all the time - and my dad loves him!" The pair keep in touch and Cher can't wait to join him on the X Factor tour next month - but the same can't be said of all the contestants. Laughing, she said: "I'm not looking forward to seeing Wagner again - I want an injunction against him! He creeps me out. Hopefully he will fall off stage and not be able to perform his latest Pavarotti impression."
But Cher is just excited to not have to perform alone in her bedroom any more. She said: "I always wanted to rap but never really had the guts to do it because I'm just a skinny white girl.
"Then aged 13 I started rapping secretly because I didn't know whether people would accept me - some people still don't."
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