Cheryl Cole still barely eating and conflicted over Ashley Cole’s infidelity

Girls Aloud’s Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh are said to be more worried than ever about their bandmate Cheryl Cole because she’s still in such a state about the collapse of her marriage.

After Cheryl spent over a week in hiding in the UK after Ashley Cole’s infidelity was uncovered, Nicola and Kimberley whisked her away to Thailand earlier this week - but the singer is still barely eating.

A source close to the girl group told the Sun: “The realisation that Ashley has betrayed her so badly suddenly hit Cheryl hard. She told her closest pals that he might as well have ripped her heart out and stamped on it.”

“Ashley’s cheating was so painful that, for two weeks, Cheryl practically locked herself in a rented apartment, sobbing herself to sleep. She tried to take her mind off things by filming the video for the band’s new song ‘Can’t Speak French’ - but the effort to be upbeat drained her even more.”

“Cheryl couldn’t eat and her weight plummeted so rapidly and significantly that her ribs and hip bones started to jut sharply out. Her cheeks also look sunken.”

“Nicola and Kimberley are trying to encourage her to eat as they believe her weight has plummeted to as little as six stone.”

“But she mostly just jumps up from the table after a few mouthfuls and grabs a fag. Because of the stress, Cheryl’s chain-smoking her way through 40 a day.”

The three women are said to be staying in a £2000-a-day villa in the grounds of a luxury resort and are having daily beauty treatments from the resort’s spa staff - and Cheryl has even had a visit from a Buddhist “spiritual guru” to help her recovery.

A second source added that Cheryl is still conflicted about whether or not to forgive Ashley and give their marriage another go: “She knows walking out on Ashley will be the making of her. She’ll get a £4million divorce payout and can walk tall for standing up to a footballer.”

“But she does love him - and you can’t ignore emotions.”

But another guest at the Thai resort added that Cheryl seems sure about one thing. In an overheard phone conversation, she was heard telling a friend: “People email me, ‘Poor you, poor thing’. F***. Don’t treat me like a victim. I’m not a f****** victim, I’m a grown woman.”