Tulisa facts for kids

Tula Paulinea Contostavlos (Greek: Τούλα Παυλίνα 'Τουλίσα' Κοντόσταυλου; born 13 July 1988), known as Tulisa, is an English singer, songwriter, rapper, and TV star. She was part of the R&B/hip hop group N-Dubz with her cousin Dappy and friend Fazer.

With N-Dubz, they achieved great success. They earned two platinum albums and two gold albums. They also won five MOBO Awards and were nominated for a Brit Award. The group had thirteen songs in the top 40 charts and won three Urban Music Awards.

From 2011 to 2012, Tulisa was a judge on the TV talent show The X Factor UK. In 2012, she released her first solo album, The Female Boss. This album included the UK number one song "Young". It also had two other popular songs, "Live It Up" and "Sight of You", which reached the top twenty. In 2024, Tulisa appeared on the reality TV show I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! and finished in tenth place.

Early Life and Family

Tulisa was born on 13 July 1988 in Camden Town, London. Her mother, Anne Byrne, is Irish. Anne and her three sisters were in a 1980s band called Jeep. Tulisa's father, Plato Contostavlos, is Greek Cypriot. He used to play keyboards for the band Mungo Jerry. Plato's brother, Byron Contostavlos, was also in Mungo Jerry and later managed N-Dubz.

When Tulisa was five, her mother became unwell and needed special care. A BBC show in 2010, Tulisa: My Mum And Me, showed how Tulisa looked after her mother before joining N-Dubz. At age 14, with help from her uncle Byron, she went to Quintin Kynaston Community Academy. Later, she attended Haverstock Secondary School.

Music Career with N-Dubz

Forming N-Dubz

Tulisa performing with N-Dubz in June 2010

Dappy and Fazer were already rapping together. They wanted a female voice for their group, which was first called the Lickle Rinsers Crew. They invited Tulisa to join. The group started performing in Camden when they were young.

As Lickle Rinsers Crew, they released songs like "Bad Man Riddim" and "Life Is Getting Sicker by the Day." These songs became popular on pirate radio stations. Later, they changed their name to NW1, named after their local area. In 2005, they made their first music video for "Everyday Of My Life." Their first official single was "You Better Not Waste My Time". In 2006, their self-released song "I Swear" brought them wider attention. In 2007, their song "Feva Las Vegas" reached number 57 on the UK charts.

Albums and Tours

Tulisa with Dappy in 2012

In August 2008, N-Dubz signed with All Around the World records. Their first single with this label was "Ouch". The group's first album, Uncle B, came out on 17 November 2008. "Strong Again" was another popular song from Uncle B, reaching number 24 in the UK.

Because their first album was so successful, N-Dubz went on their first tour, the Uncle B tour. Stevie Hoang and Tinchy Stryder supported them on tour. N-Dubz also worked with Tinchy Stryder on his number one song "Number 1".

The first song from their second album, "I Need You," was released in November 2009 and reached number five in the UK. The album, Against All Odds, came out on 16 November 2009. It reached number six in the UK Album Chart and became platinum very quickly. The second song from the album, "Playing with Fire", featured Mr Hudson and reached number 15. In 2010, N-Dubz toured for their Against All Odds album.

Later N-Dubz Work

The group signed with US label Def Jam. Their third album, Love.Live.Life, was released in the UK on 29 November 2010. "We Dance On" was the first song from the album, released in May 2010. It reached number five in the UK and was also on the Streetdance 3D movie soundtrack.

"Best Behaviour" was the second song from the album, released in October 2010. It reached number 10 in the UK. "Girls" was the third song, released in December 2010, and reached number 19.

N-Dubz left Def Jam in August 2011. The band played their last show together in September.

Solo Career and TV Appearances

The X Factor Judge

Tulisa performing on Text Santa, December 2012

In 2011, Tulisa became a judge on The X Factor, replacing Cheryl Cole. At 23, she was the youngest judge ever on the show. In this series, Tulisa guided the "Groups" category. Her group, Little Mix, won the competition, becoming the first band to do so.

Tulisa returned for the 2012 series. This time, she mentored the "Girls" category, which included Lucy Spraggan and Ella Henderson. Although her acts didn't win, Ella Henderson later had a successful music career. Tulisa did not return for the 2013 series. She briefly came back to The X Factor in 2014 as a guest judge for Louis Walsh and also filled in for Mel B during the final.

The Female Boss Album

Tulisa at V Festival in 2012

Tulisa released her solo album, The Female Boss, on 3 December 2012. She said the album had "a track for every mood," including party songs, ballads, and UK urban music. The first song from the album was "Young", released in April. It reached number one in the UK.

In September, she released the second song, "Live It Up", which reached number 11 in the UK. Around this time, Tulisa also released her autobiography called Honest: My Story So Far. Her third solo song, "Sight of You", was released with the album. The album itself reached number 35.

In November 2012, Britney Spears and will.i.am released the song "Scream & Shout". Tulisa had originally helped write this song for her own album. However, the producer gave it to will.i.am, who rewrote it for Britney Spears. The song became a huge hit. Tulisa later won a lawsuit in 2018, which meant she would receive money from the song's success.

Other Projects and Return to Music

Tulisa started working on a second solo album in 2013. Her song "Living Without You" was released in January 2015 and reached number 44 in the UK. Two years later, she released "Sweet Like Chocolate" with rapper Akelle.

In 2016, Tulisa began trying to become a film actress. She had already acted in the TV series Dubplate Drama (2007–09), the comedy Big Fat Gypsy Gangster (2011), and the film Demons Never Die (2011).

In April 2019, Tulisa released "Daddy", her first song in three years. She then released "Sippin'" two months later. She also performed at various events, including Manchester Pride.

N-Dubz Reunion

In 2022, Tulisa reunited with N-Dubz to make new music and go on tour. They released their fourth album, Timeless, in August 2023. In November 2024, Tulisa was a contestant on I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! and finished in tenth place.

In the Media

Tulisa has appeared on the covers of many magazines, including Glamour, Cosmopolitan, and The Times magazine. In October 2011, she launched her first perfume, "The Female Boss." She also launched a fashion line called "TFB by Tulisa" in October 2012.

Tulisa was named the "Ultimate TV Personality" at the Cosmopolitan Ultimate Women of the Year Awards in October 2012.

Personal Life

Tulisa was baptized in her father's Greek Orthodox faith but later became a practicing Roman Catholic.

In 2020, Tulisa shared that she had a health condition called Bell's palsy.

Discography

• The Female Boss (2012)

Filmography

Television

Film

See also

In Spanish: Tulisa Contostavlos para niños