'I cried when I saw my first Pussycat Doll costume': Nicole Scherzinger was a little too demure for her old band's revealing outfits

By Daily Mail Reporter

Last updated at 9:18 AM on 12th August 2011

The Pussycat Dolls became famous in the mid 1990s for their sexy image and explicit dance routines.

But the band's former lead singer Nicole Scherzinger has admitted that even she was taken aback when she saw the band's risqué stage outfits for the first time.

'I cried when I saw my first Pussycat Doll costume,' she tells U.S. Marie Claire magazine this month. 'It was my first photo shoot, and I wasn't used to wearing clothes like that.'

Sultry: Nicole Scherzinger sports a casual chic look in a beige one sleeved sweater dress and ornate shoes in one photo for the latest issue of Marie Claire magazine

'My friends from high school were like, "Oh, my gosh, our sweet little Nicole,"' says the 33-year-old singer, who poses for a series of stunning pictures in the latest issue of U.S. Marie Claire magazine.

'It's growing up, though, right? I'm a woman, and it's part of owning what you are.'

The star appears to have left any revealing outfits behind for the latest set of pictures, opting for a more covered up image in a one sleeved sweater dress and ornate shoes.

Another shot shows her in a more bohemian green and white patterned dress and ethnic style jewellery, with her long dark hair loose around her shoulders.

Pretty pattern: The former Pussycat Doll sported ethnic style jewellery and a loose white green and grey detailed dress

The star is also clearly excited about her new judging role on the U.S. version of the X Factor.

Originally a host, she stepped into Cheryl Cole's shoes when she was fired from the panel.

'I'm the luckiest person to get a front-row ticket to the Simon and Paula show,' she says of her fellow judges who also include L.A. Reid. 'This whole thing has felt like a roller-coaster ride.'

But the singer says she hasn't got anywhere in life without working hard.

'I definitely have the eye of the tiger. I’ve fought my way to where I am and will continue to do so,' she says.

Counting her blessings: Nicole told the magazine she feels like 'the luckiest person' to be named as a judge on X Factor

'I’m a hard worker - I get it from my family. We only know work. Nothing was handed to us. When I believe in something, I go after it. It’s very hard to tell me "no."'

Earlier this year, the singer was excited to debut her album Killer Love.

'I've been working toward this my whole life,' she tells the magazine. 'This album is my dream. Everything is timing.

'My music is the driving engine, and The X Factor is where I can give back to the contestants - pay it forward, since I got my start on reality shows. I'm ready to take it all on.'

Read more on Nicole by logging on to Marie Claire's website