By Daily Mail Reporter



Putting her troubles to one side: Ever the professional, Katie Price posed at her merchandise signing in Lakeside Shopping Centre in Essex


Her personal life may be suffering, but Katie Price was professional as ever as she turned up to her merchandise signing yesterday.

Just days after admitting her marriage to Alex Reid was in 'crisis', the glamour model put aside her woes to meet hundreds of fans at Lakeside Shopping Centre in Essex.

Surrounded by boxes of her KP Baby and KP Equestrian ranges outside the Debenhams department store, the mother-of-three struck her typical Jordan poses.


However, as she worked her magic for the cameras in a velour tracksuit and pink 'Horses are just like chocolates.. one's just not enough' T-shirt, her smile was noticeably absent.

But while she couldn't raise a smile, she did spent hours signing autographs and posing for photos with fans.

Writing on her Twitter on the way home, she gushed: 'OMG, very long signing. Fantastic. Thank you very much everyone.'

Once back home in Surrey, the 32-year-old had to fight off pleas from her younger sister Sophie, 21, to go out clubbing.


Keeping professional: Price posed in a black velour tracksuit from her KP Equestrian range and a 'horses are like chocolate, you can't just have one' T-shirt


Blonde ambition: Katie showed off her new blonde hair extensions, which she had put in on Wednesday


She wrote: 'Can't believe its nearly 1030. Just had sunbed, a swim and now in the bath. Ready to watch TV in bed... on a Saturday night. Haha.

'My sister ask me to go clubbing in London tonight... I've chose (sic) to stay in boring eh lol.'

On Wednesday, Price confirmed rumours her 11-month marriage to Reid was going through a rocky patch.

She wrote on her Twitter page: 'To answer my fans questions, News of the World did a accurate story Sunday about our marriage in crises (sic) ..always look on bright side xx.'


Candid camera: As usual, a cameraman was in tow filming the signing for her reality show


But Reid played down reports of an imminent split on his page, Tweeting: 'Life is full of ups and downs. Mine happens to be under the scrutiny of the media spotlight. Me + mrs still very much together and in love.'

Price and Reid jetted to an exotic island in the Indian Ocean over New Year's in a bid to work on their relationship.

The troubled couple released smiling pictures of their New Year's stay to a Sunday tabloid last weekend to prove that they were fighting to save their love - the first time they've been seen together for weeks.

It's believed that former cagefighter Alex and mother-of-three Katie tried to put their arguing on hold for the week-long break to attempt to sort through their problems rationally.

Alex is reportedly fed up with the 'media circus' surrounding them and has struggled to cope with the fame thrust upon him since they married in Las Vegas on February 2 last year.

Their path to wedded life was a rocky one - the couple started dating in July 2009 - just a few months after Price split from ex-husband Peter Andre.


Pricey mania: Hundreds gathered in the shopping centre for the chance to meet their idol


In November 2009, the model dumped Reid live on air after she was voted off I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! after she realised in the jungle 'I wanted to be on my own'.

But just a few weeks later, the couple were back together and secretly plotting their wedding when he appeared on Celebrity Big Brother in January last year.

Meanwhile, Price appears to have given her blessing to ex-husband Andre's burgeoning romance with Spanish model Elen Rivas.

When asked by a fan on Twitter what she thought of the romance, Price replied: 'One of my best friends Andrew Gould said Elen was nice as they ran the marathon together last year.'


Waiting for Katie: The shoppers clutched their Katie Price-branded bags as they waited in line to meet her


Confession: Price admitted her marriage to Reid was in 'crisis' on her Twitter last week


Source:Dailymail

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes may boycott next month’s Oscars ceremony because they don’t want an awkward red carpet confrontation with the host, Anne Hathaway.

The 28-year-old actress, who will be presenting the 83rd Academy Awards alongside 127 Hours actor James Franco, upset Katie by mocking her on U.S.comedy show Saturday Night Live in November.

Anne was guest-presenting the comedy show when she mimicked Katie in a sketch, speaking in breathy tones and constantly tucking her hair behind her ear.

‘Tom and Katie don’t want to have to cross paths with Anne,’ says a Hollywood source.

‘They used to be friends and took Anne to a Tina Turner concert in 2008 when Anne split up from her boyfriend Raffaello Follieri.

‘Katie feels they were really supportive at a difficult time so she feels let down that Anne took to national TV to make fun of her.

‘Anne didn’t even warn her it was going to be on TV.’

Anne’s new film, Love And Other Drugs, is directed by Tom’s old friend Ed Zwick, who directed him in The Last Samura


Anne Hathaway was guest-presenting the comedy show when she mimicked Katie in a sketch, constantly tucking her hair behind her ear...


...and speaking in breathy tones


‘The whole thing has left a sour taste with Tom,’ adds the source.

A spokesman for Cruise said he had yet to decide whether he will attend the Oscars, adding: ‘It’s too early to confirm – it depends on shoot schedules.’


The 28-year-old actress will be presenting the 83rd Academy Awards alongside 127 Hours actor James Franco



Source:Dailymail

By Katie Nicholl



Flying solo: Kate Middleton arrives for the wedding of the Honourable Sarah Louise Stourton and Harry Aubrey-Fletcher at St Andrew's Church in Aldborough, North Yorkshire


If Prince William and Kate Middleton wanted a dress rehearsal for their wedding, yesterday was the perfect opportunity.

The couple attended the nuptials of friends Harry Aubrey-Fletcher and Louise Stourton – and, unusually for a wedding, Kate was dressed in black.

Beneath a tailored velvet dress coat, she wore an elegant above-the-knee dress with a sheer neckline tapering to a silver clasp, an outfit completed by a black pillbox hat with an intricate fascinator, plum-coloured shoes and matching clutch bag.


It's a cold day for a white wedding: Kate chats to a fellow guest as they hurry inside St Andrew's Church


She also looked thinner than usual; like most brides-to-be, she is no doubt keen to look slim for the wedding photos – especially when those images will be seen by billions.

The stress of planning a wedding on such a huge scale as her April 29 affair may also have had an effect.

William, who was an usher, arrived at Aldborough Parish Church in Boroughbridge, West Yorkshire, at 1pm.

Prince Harry arrived at 3pm, chatting with pals about England’s Ashes victory. Princess Beatrice was also there.


Chic: Princess Beatrice looked sleek in a blue coat and matching shoes and fascinator, while her boyfriend Dave Clark looked dapper in his tie and tails


Here comes the bride: The Honourable Sarah Louise Stourton arrives at the church with her coat-clad bridesmaids and her father, Edward William Stephen Stourton, the 24th Baron Stourton, 28th Baron Segrave, 27th Baron Mowbray


High-class affair: The bride is from one of Britain¿s most aristocratic families. She is the eldest daughter of Edward Stourton, the 24th Baron Stourton, 28th Baron Segrave, 27th Baron Mowbray. Prince William was an usher in the ceremony


The main wedding party arrived in a vintage bus, but Kate came in a chauffeur-driven Range Rover, with more security than the two female personal protection officers who normally accompany her.

While most of the 200 guests had mulled wine at the church before the service, William took Harry, the groom and ushers to the village pub.

Brian Rey, landlord of The Ship Inn, said: ‘Both of the Princes came in. William had cottage pie of all things. I can’t remember what Harry ate but he had a pint of cider.’

After the ceremony Kate and Bea took the bus to the reception at Castle Allerton.


Hanging out with the future sister-in-law: Prince Harry joined Miss Middleton at the ceremony


Both Princes left in Audi A5s, William saying: ‘It’s not my wedding yet.’

Kate and William stayed overnight before heading home to celebrate Kate’s 29th birthday today.

The groom, one of William’s oldest friends, is the youngest son of Sir Henry Aubrey-Fletcher, 8th Baronet and Lord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire.

He was at Ludgrove prep school and Eton with the Prince.

His bride is from one of Britain’s most aristocratic families.

She is the eldest daughter of Edward Stourton, the 24th Baron Stourton, 28th Baron Segrave, 27th Baron Mowbray. He is also the cousin of former Radio 4 Today presenter Ed Stourton – proving the ‘Posh Ed’ nickname he had at the BBC was well-deserved.





Source:Dailymail

By Liz Thomas and Jody Thompson


-Controversial cot-death storyline cut short
-New storyline will see Whitney Dean become a teen prostitute
-Actress who plays Ronnie Branning 'abused in the street' by angry public
-Viewer complaints to the BBC pass 8,400
-BBC boss Jana Bennett claim storyline was 'sensitive' and educational


Distressing: A scene starring Womack from one of the soap's most controversial episodes


EastEnders bosses have caved in to audience fury about its controversial cot-death storyline and are to conclude it with a happy ending - a rarity in the soap.

Insiders revealed: 'When Kat Moon is finally reunited with her son, the focus will be on her happiness at discovering the child she thought was dead is alive and well.'

It is thought that the plot will conclude around Easter with Ronnie Branning handing back baby Tommy, who she stole from Kat to replace her baby James after he fell victim to Sudden Infant Death Sydrome (SIDS) in what are described as 'tender scenes'.


It has also been revealed that the soap is planning another controversial plot twist, which will see Whitney Dean descend into prostitution.

The Daily Mirror reports that 18-year-old Whitney - Bianca Butcher's step-daughter, played by Shona McGarty - will become a £50-a-time hooker after a row with her family.

Whitney was previously the victim of child abuse by Bianca's former partner Tony King. Scriptwriters are collaborating with Comic Relief on the storyline, which will highlight the sexual exploitation of young women.


Prostitution storyline: Whitney Dean - seen here with brother Ryan - is set to become a £50-a-time hooker

The news comes after two of the BBC’s most senior executives defended the cot-death storyline, claiming it was ‘educational’ and ‘sensitive’.

Complaints to the Corporation have soared to 8,400 - a record for the soap, which has been running for nearly 26 years.

Jana Bennett, the BBC’s director of vision, said the plot ‘allows viewers to learn’.
And director general Mark Thompson said the audience expected ‘challenging and engrossing’ storylines.


In episodes aired over the New Year, a mother whose newborn baby has just died secretly swaps the child for a healthy one born to a neighbour on the same day.


Yesterday Miss Bennett sent an open letter to Justine Roberts, founder of the Mumsnet website which has been vocal in its criticism of the storyline.

She wrote: ‘I would like to assure you that on the issue of a baby swap the show is absolutely not suggesting that this behaviour is typical of a mother who has suffered such a terrible and tragic loss.

‘Taking [the] baby is the action of a character in great distress due to a series of events that have befallen her in the last 18 months.

‘It is also worth saying that in the telling of this story the issues of death caused by the loss of a child and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome are sensitively handled.

‘EastEnders has a long history of tackling difficult issues in a way that allows viewers to learn and debate the topic at hand.’

Mumsnet had complained to Mr Thompson about the show and it is understood he asked Miss Bennett to reply on his behalf.

In an interview with the Daily Mail, Mr Thompson said: ‘I want to be clear – the show is absolutely not suggesting that this behaviour is typical of a mother who has suffered the loss of a child through Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. It is one moment of madness that had been provoked by a series of events that have befallen the character over the last 18 months.’


Traumatic: Kat and Alfie Moon, whose son has been swapped for Ronnie's dead baby


But the cot death charity consulted by the BBC over the storyline continued to distance itself from the show, saying it had ‘sympathy’ for those upset by it.


Media regulator Ofcom is understood to have received around 500 further complaints, while thousands have deluged online forums and radio phone-ins to voice their concerns.

Charities and parenting groups such as Mumsnet have suggested the storyline was simply a ‘cynical ploy’ to pull in ratings.

Miss Bennett also volunteered the show’s executive producer Bryan Kirkwood to appear in a ‘web-chat’ to discuss the issue.

Before the public backlash, Mr Kirkwood had described the baby swap as ‘one of the most powerful moments in EastEnders history’.

Senior insiders at the BBC said it was unlikely that anyone would be reprimanded or fired over the plot.

The huge volume of complaints means it is likely that the BBC’s internal Editorial Complaints Unit will have to investigate.

A spokesman for Ofcom said it would not rule on whether to investigate the show until the spring because it needed to wait until the storyline had been played out.

It will have to assess whether the show is in breach of section two of the broadcasting code, which covers harm and offence to viewers.

Last night a spokesman for the Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths, which advised the show, insisted that it did not ‘endorse’ the baby swap plot line.

Director Joyce Epstein said: ‘We think cot death is dramatic enough. We have huge sympathy for people upset by this storyline.’

Furious viewers are still discussing the show more than a week on.

One wrote on an internet message board: ‘The BBC has just gone too far this time.

'Why do they need to make an already traumatic situation even worse?’

The BBC has already sought to justify the episodes by pointing out that calls to the cot death charity had increased five-fold since they were broadcast.

The episodes on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day got 7.3million and 8.9million viewers respectively.

It is also claimed some of the core team of 20 writers disagreed with the scenes, which were said to have been suggested by a handful of writers who do not have children.

A source on the soap said: ‘There are plenty of people on the set who have children and they have been utterly shocked. But some of those pushing the storyline do not have children themselves and don’t seem to realise the effect it is having on people.’

They added: ‘Many felt they just can’t relate to how shocked parents are feeling.’


Stressed: Samantha Womack, who has quit EastEnders, looked strained as she arrived home, as co-star Jessie Wallace, right, looks equally drained on set


More damagingly, cot death charity FSID, which had advised the show, issued a statement on its website making it clear it had no influence on the ‘baby-swap’ story.

The BBC’s website says ‘the production team worked with FSID to research the portrayal of Kat and Alfie when they are bereaved by cot death’.

But the FSID statement said: ‘We are very sorry to know of the very natural distress caused by this plotline but would like to stress that our involvement was limited to advice on SIDS [sudden infant death syndrome] risk factors, bereavement and the involvement of health professionals and the police.’

It added: ‘FSID had no involvement in the planning or adoption of the specific “baby swap” plotline.

'The behaviour and actions of Ronnie are in no way “endorsed” by FSID as a typical, or even likely, reaction of a bereaved parent.’



Source:Dailymail

By Daily Mail Reporter



In mourning: Rushden players struggle to hold back tears as Dale Roberts' coffin is carried from the church in Horden, County Durham


England footballer Adam Johnson was among the mourners today at the funeral of his best friend, goalkeeper Dale Roberts.

The midfielder joined Roberts fiancee Lindsay Cowan, fellow players and family in remembering the Rushden and Diamonds goalkeeper at St Mary's Church in Horden, County Durham.

Roberts, 24 was found hanged at his home in Higham Ferrers, Rushden, Northamptonshire on December 14.


He had played for the England C team after a promising start in youth football and grew up alongside Johnson in the former pit village.

The two boys were school friends and their families went on holiday together. Both played academy football for Middlesbrough, before Roberts signed for Nottingham Forest.

Johnson was with the Roberts family immediately behind the coffin as it was carried in by friends.

Rushden players then carried it out of the church following the ceremony.
They had earlier travelled to the village in the team coach and wore club suits for the sombre occasion.

Other players there included the Middlesbrough regulars David Wheater and Matthew Bates.

Flowers from Roberts' fiancee Lindsey Cowan spelled out the words 'My Dale'. After his death she described him as the 'love of my life'.

Ahead of today's ceremony, Johnson had revealed a vest reading 'RIP Dale' after scoring the winning goal in Manchester City's 1-0 Premier League win over Blackpool on Saturday.


Best friend: England footballer Adam Johnson stands alongside Dale Roberts' fiancee Lindsey Cowan following the funeral


And yesterday supporters put footballing rivalries aside before Rushden's derby game against Kettering Town at Nene Park.

Both sets of fans laid flowers on the pitch and held a minute's silence in the goalkeeper's honour.

For confidential support call the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see www.samaritans.org for details.


Tribute: One mourner carries in a board with photo highlights from the goalkeeper's career, which began at the Middlesbrough academy



Source:Dailymail

By Alison Boshoff



Real or fake? Cheryl Cole and Derek Hough take a stroll along the beach in South Africa, where the couple have been celebrating New Year


So, it appears to be official: Cheryl Cole is dating the dancer Derek Hough. They are currently enjoying their second holiday as a couple, and saw in the New Year together at a ­private party.

Since then they have been pictured ­strolling on the white sands at Camps Bay in South Africa - the closest they have ever come to looking romantic in public.

Since first being linked in February last year they have been very cautious about discussing the exact nature of their relationship.


Hough tends to say with a smile: ‘I don’t know what you are talking about,’ if you ask him about Cheryl, and his family have been told to not speak on the subject.

Only last week Cheryl repeated her ­denials of any entanglement, telling TV chatshow host Alan Carr: ‘A lady doesn’t tell about these things.’

But friends including Strictly Come ­Dancing judge Bruno Tonioli and X Factor choreographer Brian Friedman have been saying for months that they are an item, and Hough’s ‘adoptive’ father Corky Ballas recently revealed on Twitter: ‘It’s no secret they are dating.’

Why, then, are they being so shy? Could it be that Cheryl is holding back for another reason? For it must be said that there is a strong waft of disbelief from doubters who question whether dancer Derek is, well . . . macho enough for Cheryl’s taste.

The suggestion has been made that their relationship is merely a ‘showbiz fauxmance’ one — an alleged affair conducted between friends that has the benefit of keeping them in the public eye and making both look more desirable.


Intimate: The pair were seen dancing at Preston Haskell's New Year's Eve party in Cape Town, South Africa


Animated: Cheryl and Derek chat on the dancefloor amid the revelry


The theory is that heartbroken Cheryl, 27, shows her ex-husband Ashley what he’s missing, while Derek, 25, gets to bolster his profile.

Certainly, suspicions have been rife in showbiz circles, led by celebrity blogger Perez Hilton who always, cruelly, files stories about Hough under the heading ‘Gay, gay, gay’.

But, as we shall see, he’s not the only one who has voiced doubts over Hough’s sexual orientation - based, it seems, on not much more than the fact that he is handsome in a pretty way, and makes his living as a dancer.


So who is Derek Hough? And what more is there to him than perfect teeth and an impossibly toned physique?

Even the greatest matchmaker would concede that he is a most unlikely partner for pugnacious

Geordie Cheryl. He is a born-into-showbiz trouper, with an extraordinarily complicated family background. He’s also a Mormon.

Born on May 17, 1985, in Salt Lake City, Derek is the son of Bruce and Marianne Hough, who’d met on a college ballroom dancing team in Idaho. After having three girls - Marabeth, Sharee and Katherine - came Derek, and then the youngest, Julianne.

Marianne had ambitions to turn her brood onto a new version of the Osmonds, and says that for several years she spent more time in her van than at home, devotedly taking all five of them to music and dance classes.

By the time he was ten, Derek was progressing in competitions in New York and Los Angeles in the field of Latin American dance, cheered on by his family.

At this point, fate took a hand. Famous dance coaches Mark ‘Corky’ Ballas and his British wife Shirley - then based in Dulwich, South London - were on a teaching trip to Utah and saw Derek and his sister, Julianne.

They believed the Houghs were ‘incredibly talented children’ and offered coaching. At around this time, Bruce - now an elected member of Utah’s Republican National Committee - and Marianne Hough were separating. Derek asked Shirley Ballas if he could stay with her and study for a few months to escape the dramas at home.

Three months later, Julianne followed her brother across the Atlantic, and together with the Ballases’ son, Mark, they attended the famous Italia Conti Stage School in London.

Derek ended up staying with the family for almost a decade - although he remains on close terms with his own parents - leading Shirley Ballas to say that she regards him as her own flesh and blood.

‘Even though he is not my birth son, he feels as though he is my son. We love that boy so much - he really is a great kid.’

For her part, Ann Sherward, the principal of the Italia Conti, calls Derek ‘the most charismatic performer’ she has seen in 40 years at the school.


Tanned and toned: Derek showing off his incredible physique, and performing during National Dance Day


Certainly, his ballroom dancing was outstanding. Under Shirley’s wing he won all the major titles in the junior and youth divisions, travelling the world to do so.

After a variety of dancing roles on the West End stage, Derek got his first chance in television thanks to Bruno Tonioli, who asked him to work as a choreographer on the BBC show Dance X - and he proved a natural.


His sister, Julianne, meanwhile, was becoming well known in America thanks to Dancing With The Stars (the U.S. version of Strictly Come Dancing).

Derek soon joined her, alongside Mark Ballas. Derek and Mark, inseparable since they met as children, set up home together in Los Angeles.

They continue to compete against each other on Dancing With The Stars, which Derek has won three times. But brilliant though they are on the dance floor, their real desire was to be pop stars.

So Derek and Mark formed a group - the imaginatively titled Ballas Hough Band - but they were dropped by their record label after releasing just one flop single.

As for his personal life, since becoming a TV star Derek has had only one publicised relationship: with actress Shannon Elizabeth, his one-time dance partner on Dancing With The Stars - who was taller and 12 years older than him.

They lived together - not as a couple, but with Mark Ballas and two other friends, plus four dogs including Derek’s poodle, named Lady Dog-Ga.

The pair called it quits in August 2009 - Elizabeth apparently found the rumours that her boyfriend was gay very trying, and this seems to have been a factor, although she declined to comment yesterday.

Derek is not the only Hough family member blighted by such gossip - his sister, Julianne, is dating American Idol host Ryan Seacrest, a dapper individual who is close friends with Simon Cowell and has long resisted rumours that he is gay.

Indeed, Julianne told an interviewer that when she first met him, she thought he was gay, too.

Then just as Derek was struggling for his big break into the world of pop, along came Cheryl Cole. The pair were introduced by their mutual friend Bruno Tonioli, and Derek was hired to dance with her on the video for Parachute, her third solo ­single since taking a break from Girls Aloud

They had already filmed the video by the time lurid details of Ashley Cole’s infidelity were made public, and as Cheryl flew to Los Angeles to concentrate on her future, she called on Derek for a shoulder to ­cry on.

He took her out for sushi and then turned up at her hotel in a tight T-shirt, carrying a small dog. He was photographed leaving at 4.15am, fuelling rumours of a ‘secret’ fling.


Showmance? The pair have kept very quiet about the status of their relationship


A holiday in Tanzania followed in the summer (during which Cheryl, alas, caught malaria) and in the months since, there’s no doubt the couple have grown closer. But in what capacity?

Derek’s stepfather, Aaron Nelson, insists: ‘For Derek, this is true love. There is no doubt about it and it’s easy to see why - she is one hell of a girl. Very talented and incredibly beautiful. She is the girl of his dreams.’

Certainly, now that Cheryl has landed a job on X Factor USA, she will be free to spend more time with Derek. The plan seems to be that, for the time being, she will move into the house which Hough is renting on Mulholland Drive.

Let’s hope it’s big enough to accommodate her ever-present mum, Joan, and two Chihuahua dogs — but then, as Derek was brought up in a houseful of women and loves little dogs, he will no doubt feel at home.

As for the future, choreographer Brian Friedman says of the couple: ‘I’m very close to them both. They’re amazing people and make a great couple. They’re very, very cute together.’

And Bruno Tonioli says: ‘They complement each other perfectly - it’s a positive relationship.’

It’s no wonder everyone is so thrilled for Cheryl. Following the humiliation she suffered with

Ashley Cole and his pay-as-you-go phone habits, she deserves happiness.

But is Derek the right sort of man to mend her broken heart?



Source:Dailymail

By Emily Sheridan



Losing the will to fight: Cheryl Cole admits she's 'had enough' as she poses in a Burberry biker jacket for a stunning photoshoot in the latest issue of Elle magazine


She launched her solo career over a year ago with the energetic floorfiller Fight For This Love.

But it appears Cheryl Cole isn't feeling quite so feisty anymore, declaring she's 'had enough' after a difficult 2010.

The X Factor judge, 27, admits her self-esteem was so low last year, she can't bear to look at photos of herself.


In an exclusive new interview with Elle magazine, Cheryl reflects on the past 12 months, which saw her divorce husband Ashley, fight a battle with malaria and controversy on the last series of X Factor.

She tells the publication: 'I have taken so much s**t, I’ve stopped listening to other people. I have had enough.

'There's only so much you can cope with and then you either allow it to swallow you up or you say, "Sod this". I have had it with negativity and bitchiness.

'I want people to like my music but I couldn't give a s**t about what they think of me. Take it or leave it. I do not care.'


'Take it or leave it, I do not care': Cole said she's detached herself from the public opinion of herself


Turning her back on the negativity: Cheryl is looking forward to 2011 with a fresh start


Although Cheryl continued her solo career success with her new single Promise This and second album Messy Little Raindrops hitting No.1, her personal life was not so smooth.

Cheryl and Ashley split last February amid allegations of his infidelity before divorcing in September, and in July came close to death after contracting malaria on a visit to Tanzania with close friend Derek Hough.

Although she considered therapy to help her deal with the fallout from her divorce and illness, she eventually decided against it, explaining: 'I'm not trusting enough to bare my soul to a stranger.


'I'm lucky in that I've got family and friends to turn to. I realise now that it's not a bad thing to lean on people and accept support.

'You get to find out who your real friends are when the s**t hits the fan.'

Aside from her personal turmoil with her marriage breakdown and malaria battle, Cheryl also suffered a backlash from fans during The X Factor.

She was criticised for choosing Katie Waissel and Cher Lloyd for her final three girls - despite both fluffing their auditions at the judges' houses - and snubbing Zimbabwe-born singer Gamu Nhengu - who is currently fighting a deportation order from the UK.

Then in Week 5 of the live shows, she caused further controversy when she refused to vote when two of her acts - Waissel and Treyc Cohen - were in the bottom two.

Dannii Minogue eclipsed Cheryl in both the fashion and popularity stakes with 42 per cent of Heat magazine readers voting for the Australian as their favourite judge, compared to Cheryl's 18 per cent and Simon Cowell's 35 per cent.

The backlash for the singer, who had previously been built up as a the 'Nation's Sweetheart', no doubt contributed to her low self-esteem.

She explains: 'My confidence has never hit such an all-time low as it has this last year. It feels really bad. I don't look at pictures of myself. I can't.'

To watch a behind-the-scenes video of the shoot, visit Elle Magazine's website.

• The full shoot and interview appears in the February issue of ELLE Magazine, out today.



Source:Dailymail