Kimberley Walsh says Girls Aloud bandmate Cheryl is the 'perfect choice' for The Voice UK after she was confirmed as a coach

Kimberley Walsh has told how her pal Cheryl is the 'perfect choice' for The Voice UK after she was confirmed as a coach earlier this year.

The Girls Aloud singer, 43, is set to join her long-time pal Will.I.Am on the panel alongside Kelly Rowland and Aitch, though the show has been mired in controversy of late after it emerged that Tom Jones was axed. 

But throwing her support behind her bandmate's signing, Kimberley, 44, has insisted that Cheryl is 'back doing what she does best', especially having been in the shoes of the contestants.

Cheryl and Kimberley, along with their bandmates, won Popstars: The Rivals back in 2002, with Cheryl later going on to become a successful judge on The X Factor with two wins under her belt. 

On how her friend will fare on The Voice UK, Kimberley exclaimed to The Sun: 'Cheryl’s back doing what she does best. She’s going to be amazing. She’s so good at that job. She’s an amazing judge and mentor. She’s seen it from every single angle. She’s the perfect choice.'

But Kimberley reasoned that Cheryl's judging stint won't garner the same fan hysteria as the first time around, stating that she hopes things will be more 'chill' for Cheryl as they're now in 'a different stage of life'.

Meanwhile, she shared how thrilled she was to see Cheryl reunited with her friend and former collaborator Will during a special guest appearance on the show last month. 

'It was so lovely to see her back judging with Will. They really get on and are such a great duo,' she explained. 

With Kimberley having joined Cheryl as a guest mentor on the X Factor back in the day, the singer has seemingly ruled out making a guest stint on The Voice UK as she finds the role 'really stressful'.

She shared: 'Me as a mentor? We will have to wait and see. I find it really stressful as I can’t say anything negative. I’m going: "They are all amazing. Put them all through", which isn’t very helpful.' 

It comes after Cheryl landed a £500,000 deal to front a new campaign for food delivery service Deliveroo. 

Though her new role got off to aa shaky start when she was widely mocked for confusing a leek with a spring onion in her latest Deliveroo ad. 

Cheryl follows in a long line of celebrities who have taken part in Deliveroo campaigns including Abbey Clancy, Peter Crouch, Danny Dyer and Alan Carr.

She stepped away from the public eye following the tragic death of her nine-year-old son Bear's father, Liam Payne, two years ago.

Cheryl also hit pause on her music career after welcoming Bear in 2017, choosing to focus on motherhood and TV work, and only returned to the stage in 2024 for the Girls Aloud reunion tour, in memory of her late bandmate Sarah Harding.

As she slowly returns to the limelight, Cheryl has taken on the new brand deal and has also appeared in a Nivea advert after becoming the brand's ambassador.

Last month, Cheryl was praised by viewers for her surprise appearance on The Voice UK as ITV attempts to revitalise the series after axing Sir Tom Jones.

The singer gave fans a first glimpse of her new role as a coach ahead of the show's 2027 series.

She appeared in a recent episode where she joined her long-time pal Will.i.am for the show's Battle Rounds.

Cheryl expressed: 'I've stood in the shoes that the contestants are standing in. I know what it feels like to perform in this environment.

'You've just got to know that you're good or you wouldn't be here.'

She added: 'I'm so excited for you all. You couldn't be in better hands than you are with Will.'

The Fight For This Love hitmaker was tasked with helping coach Will to pick three contestants to send into the semi-final.