Nicole Scherzinger had a "very difficult" time in Pussycat Dolls.

Nicole Scherzinger struggled in Pussycat Dolls

Nicole Scherzinger struggled in Pussycat Dolls

The 46-year-old star - who was the group's lead singer from 2003 to 2010 and the figurehead of the group - is "really proud" of the fact the band sold 55 million records but admitted her stint with the 'Don't Cha' hitmakers was "profoundly overwhelming".

She told the Times magazine: "The Dolls, it was a profoundly overwhelming experience, right?

"I’m really proud of the music that the Dolls made, and I’m very proud of the little mark that we made with our group. But it was very difficult, because I was really learning about myself along the way."

Nicole admitted being viewed as a sex symbol made her more insecure and she was uncomfortable in the group's skimpy costumes.

She said: "In the beginning, that was my biggest issue.

"The other girls were dancers first. So as dancers, you dance modern, and when you're in class you're pretty much dressed in underwear.

"A dancer's body is the instrument; it's beautiful. That's the art.

"But I was a singer first. It was difficult for me in the beginning because I didn't feel comfortable in my skin."

The 'Poison' singer found life in the band particularly hard because they were constantly pushed to their limits and suffered a lack of sleep.

She said: "It was such a difficult time, struggling and battling your own demons and issues and always being on the road, and they never allowed sleep in our schedule.

"I mean, it was just a recipe for disaster, to be honest with you.

"It's a lot different now. They have rules set in place and, you know, it's more of a woke community now.

"But it wasn't like that when we were doing it. It was just kind of like, 'Work them to the bone until they're passed out.' It was just hard for me to sleep. I always had sleeping issues."

Nicole's fiance Thom Evans has been "reprogramming" her brain to help her rest.

She said: "He's kind of reprogramming my mind and helping me try to sleep more. I'm loving sleep now."

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