Nicole Scherzinger has come a long way! From being the lead singer of the Pussycat Dolls to competing on ‘Dancing with the Stars,’ Nicole brought her past experiences together when she was promoted from host to a judge of Simon Cowell’s new TV show, ‘X Factor.’

Nicole did a photoshoot and interview with Marie Claire. Here are a couple of excerpts:

On her ambition:

“I definitely have the eye of the tiger. I’ve fought my way to where I am and will continue to do so. 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.’”

On working with Simon and Paula Abdul:

“I’m the luckiest person to get a front-row ticket to the Simon and Paula show. This whole thing has felt like a roller-coaster ride.”

You can see Nicole’s entire photoshoot and read her interview in the September issue of Marie Claire (with Sarah Jessica Parker on the cover), which hits newsstands next Tuesday, August 16.