Meet the Cheeky boys! The men who captured the hearts of the Cheeky Girls – who say Jedward can’t compete

The Cheeky Girls burst into the noughties in tiny hot pants and flirty personas, but after a life of fame and pop hits they have moved on with some humble cheeky boys.

Gabriela was famously engaged to ex-Liberal Democrat MP Lembik Opik, who she has called ‘a genuine guy’ prior to meeting her partner Adam Zubek, a car sales executive, seven years ago.

She is hoping to tie the knot with her partner, as she told Closer: ‘No pressure Adam, but I would look stunning in that dress.’

Meanwhile Monica married building contractor Shaun Taylor in 2016. The couple met in a Starbucks in Central London before tying the knot in North Yorkshire.

Her mother Magrit said at the time: ‘He’s a very special boy. He goes to all her shows and has bought her many presents – including a car. Her engagement ring has a huge diamond.’

The twin sisters, 43, also gave a cheeky insight into their romantic lives as they told The Sun that ‘lots of sex’ was the key to keeping their fit figures.

But as they have chosen men who do not live their lives in the spotlight, the sisters have kept their relationships relatively private.

The singers, most famous for their catchy hit single The Cheeky Song (Touch My Bum), also Spoke to Closer about rival X Factor twins Jedward.  

Monica said: ‘They arrived on the scene more like a poor copy cat after us to be honest.’

While Gabriela added: ‘I think Jedward tried everything. Maybe they tried too hard. Nobody can fit in our shoes.’

The twins revealed how their lives are different these days with both having ‘normal jobs’ working in car sales, although they don’t work together.

Gabriela now works at a Hyundai dealership in York, while Monica, her younger twin by ten minutes, has been working at another Hyundai dealership in Boston, Lincolnshire for years.

Gabriela said: ‘We are in competition’ with Monica adding: ‘Who can sell the most cars?’

Monica insisted that she is the better saleswoman, saying: ‘I have more experience. I have been in the motor trade a bit longer than my sister!… She is older, but she follows in my footsteps!’

In October 2021, the sisters told MailOnline that they both love the job so much they are hoping to open their own dealership one day.

Monica explained: ‘I think the British public have a perception that if you are, or have been, in the public eye or a pop star, you’re not allowed to try something else.

‘I always said it’s no shame to work, it’s a shame not to work. We’ve chosen another career path and we are very, very proud of it.’

Gabi added: ‘I’ve got a passion for cars, so it’s not just the selling bit, but I like the buzz of selling and making people happy.’

The pair found fame overnight when they auditioned for Popstars: The Rivals back in 2002.

And they made their big comeback in 2022 – 20 years after rising to fame – as they released a brand new single.

They took to Instagram to announce their return to the music scene with the new song Let’s Have Fun.

The Romanian pop duo’s new track was written by their mum, Margit, who also wrote their first pop hit and managed them up until their appearance on the ITV talent show.

Sticking to their original sound, they sing in the chorus of the novelty song: ‘We just want to have fun, cheeky-cheeky. 

‘Two of us is better than one, mm-mm. We just want to have twice as much fun, two of us is better than one.’

Despite criticism in their initial launch to fame, The Cheeky Girls went on to achieve four top 10 hits between 2002 and 2004 and performed to crowds of 100,000 at the peak of their career.

The Cheeky Song single — sample lyric, ‘Don’t be shy, touch my bum, this is life’ — sold more than 1.2 million copies worldwide.