TULISA

Tulisa Contostavlos is the most remarkable new star in the country today. She was an eleven-year-old schoolgirl when her Uncle Byron offered her GBP20 to be the singer in a new band with son Dappy and his friend Fazer. She held out for GBP50 and started on a rollercoaster ride to fame that led to her becoming an ''overnight'' sensation on The X Factor. Tulisa is the first biography of a girl determined to leave behind a life in which underage sex, smoking weed, drinking cider and bullying were the norm. Her love of music and an unswerving desire to make money, buy a house of her own and drive a sports car provided her with the incentive to escape. The UK''s leading celebrity biographer, Sean Smith, has discovered that behind the tough exterior and dazzling smile is a funny, loyal and sensitive young woman. He has travelled to the leafy streets of fashionable Belsize Park in North West London to uncover the truth about her upbringing, her relationship with her musician father, who left home when she was nine, and the mother who abandoned a singing career because of ongoing mental health problems, and whom Tulisa says she loves ''with all my heart.'' He tells the story of N-Dubz and their mentor ''Uncle B'', who tragically died on the threshold of their success. They rose to become one of the most popular bands in the UK without ever capturing a mainstream audience, but their American adventure ended in disappointment. Tulisa describes her failed love affairs, her mercurial relationship with controversial cousin Dappy, her bond with sometime boyfriend Fazer and a cast of characters including Chipmunk, Tinchy Stryder and Mr Hudson, who make up the urban music scene she embraced. The book relives her X Factor triumph as mentor to the winners Little Mix, her feud with fellow judge Kelly Rowland, her fashion triumphs and disasters and her brave response to the online release of a sex tape. Tulisa is the gripping and inspirational story of how a lonely and bullied young girl transformed herself into ''The Female Boss'' - a role model for a generation. See more