From Cheryl to Gemma Collins and Robbie Williams: The stars who struggled with their school exams (and those who passed with flying colours!)

Exam season is in full swing in Britain and students across the country are feeling the pressure to pass their exams.

While studying hard for the end-of-year tests is important, many celebrities have proven that not getting the best results isn’t the end of the world.

Some stars who achieved huge success even left school without any qualifications to their name.

Other famous faces, on the other hand, may surprise fans with how well they did at school, with some even studying chemical engineering and psychotherapy.

As students across the UK take their exams, MailOnline takes a look at how the stars fared during their time in education.

Stars who struggled to pass their exams

Cheryl

Cheryl knew from a young age that she wanted to be an entertainer and left school without completing a single exam.

She joined Girls Aloud at the age of 19 after taking part in the reality series Popstars: The Rivals.

In a blog for The Huffington Post, Cheryl wrote in 2012: “For those who have aced their high school diplomas or even managed to make ends meet, their world is about to change.

‘Maybe they’re about to secure a place at university to study their chosen subjects, or perhaps they already have their dream job in mind. Either way, it’s a time for celebration.”

Gemma Collins

Reality TV star Gemma Collins left school at the age of 16 after disliking studying and exams.

After leaving school with a ‘U’ in maths, Gemma was unimpressed; she told the magazine, YOU: ‘I remember sitting in the exam room for my maths final exam and thinking, ‘I’m going to be famous, I don’t need maths. What I really need is to go to Romford High Street and buy new shoes.’

Years later, Gemma’s dreams of fame came true when she became a cast member of ITV reality series TOWIE.

Robbie Williams

Robbie Williams entertained no one with his academic achievements.

Despite being predicted to get grades and grades in English, history and geography, he ultimately floundered and failed all his high school final exams.

However, fate was on his side when he joined Take That. Reflecting on his journey, Robbie commented: ‘If I went back to university long before then, I would go back and do all my GCSEs – I failed them all.’

Simon Cowell

He may be at the top of the music industry now, but Simon Cowell wasn’t always top dog.

The X Factor judge left school with just two O-levels – the equivalent of two GCSEs – but then dropped out at the age of 16.

He started his career in the mailroom of his father’s company, EMI Music Publishing.

Now Simon is known for the popular talent shows X Factor and Britain Got Talent, which have been franchised worldwide.

Ryan Gosling

After turning 17, Ryan Gosling decided to drop out of Lester B. Pearson High School and moved from Canada to LA to pursue his acting career.

When Ryan turned 12, he got a taste of Hollywood fame when he joined Disney’s Mickey Mouse Club as a cast member alongside Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Justin Timberlake.

However, his big break came when he starred in The Notebook alongside Rachel McAdams.

Jake Humphrey

Jake Humphrey performed well at his GCSEs; however, he did not do very well at his A-levels.

He previously wrote on X/Twitter: ‘A-level students – remember that results do not and will not define you. In 1999 I got an E, N and U for myself. It didn’t end that bad after all…’

His successful broadcasting career stemmed from his dismissal from McDonald’s.

Cameron Diaz

Cameron Diaz dropped out of high school at the age of 16 to pursue modeling full-time.

The movie star described her high school experience as “pretty rough” and that other students would get into fights with her.

She soon landed her first acting gig in The Mask and is now known for her roles in Shrek, There’s Something About Mary and Charlie’s Angels.

Richard Branson

After a turbulent study period, Richard Branson left school at the age of 16, where his principal told him he would either end up in prison or become a millionaire.

A few years later he launched his first company, a magazine called ‘Student’, and today he owns Virgin Atlantic, one of the largest airlines in the world and with a $2.5 billion network.

He previously advised students: “You don’t necessarily achieve success because you failed exams, but you can achieve success despite failing exams.”

Stars who passed their exams

Matt Damon

Matt Damon received his college education from Harvard and was left with just twelve credits before graduating.

He studied English literature during his time at the prestigious institution and it was there that he wrote an essay that would later become the screenplay for Good Will Hunting, which he co-wrote with his friend Ben Affleck.

In 2013, he received the Harvard Arts Medal, a mark of excellence and achievement in the arts from an alum.

Melinda Messinger

Melinda Messinger made a name for herself as a glamor model, but later underwent a drastic career change when she trained as a psychotherapist.

In Loose Women she said: ‘I started retraining in 2010. I thought: I have children, I have bills to pay. I worked in television and there was no sign of that stopping.

‘I thought: I can continue doing what I’m doing, but how painful would that regret be? I made the decision to go for it and I’ve been practicing for the last five years and I can tell you, this is the best thing I’ve ever done.”

Lisa Kudrow

Although she became a hugely successful actress, Lisa Kudrow almost had a new career as a scientist.

After earning a BA in Biology, she worked with her father Lee on his research into headaches and even received a research credit for one of his studies.

After appearances on TV shows like Cheers and Mad About You, Lisa hit the big time in 1994 when she was cast as Phoebe Buffay on Friends.

Kesha

Although she is best known for her hits like TikTok, Blah Blah Blah and Your Love Is My Drug, Kesha’s talents are not limited to music.

The singer reportedly has an IQ of 140 and received an SAT score of 1500, just below the maximum of 1600.

She previously revealed in an interview, “I used to be really into math, like math turns me on. Like I love it.”

Cindy Crawford

Before Cindy Crawford became one of the most famous models in the world, she studied chemical engineering with mathematics at Northwestern University.

She went to college on a scholarship, but dropped out after a year to pursue modeling full-time.

She also achieved high grades during her school years and was her high school valedictorian when she graduated in 1984.