Cheryl Cole: I’ve had a great 2008 so far

Cheryl Cole has said that despite a horrible start to 2008, on the whole she’s had a great year so far.

The Girls Aloud star was the centre of media attention in January when a hairdresser sold a kiss-and-tell story to a newspaper about her one night stand with Cheryl’s husband Ashley Cole. Cheryl initially stood by Ashley but then distanced herself from him for a month after more revelations emerged. She later returned to their marital home and this week the couple were spotted hand-in-hand on a romantic dinner date.

But Cheryl insists: “Do you know what, I’ve actually had, in a way, a really fantastic year.

“It’s probably one of the best years I’ve ever had, ironically.”

In June, the singer was drafted in as the new judge for The X Factor, which started on ITV last night, but it’s her ongoing success with Girls Aloud that makes her smile the most: “We did the sell-out tour, which was an unbelievable experience. We played the O2 - you can’t describe that feeling.”

The women played at the V Festival in Staffordshire last night and are set to play at the Chelmsford site this evening. They’re also set to play another four festival dates over the next month.