Cheryl drops surname

Binning her marital surname is the biggest confirmation yet that her relationship with ex Ashley is officially dead.

A source said: “Cheryl is beginning a new chapter in her life so she doesn’t want to be associated with negative stuff from the past.

“She’s not removing Cole legally, it’s just a career statement. She’s in a really good place at the moment and wants to take life by the balls. She can’t wait to start performing live again and her new stage name has given her comeback an extra bit of spice.”

Cheryl insisted on keeping her marital surname shortly after separating from Chelsea and England star Ashley last year.

But as she’s firmly the world’s most recognisable Cheryl, she can get away with being known by the one name. Cheryl Baker will be crying into her cornflakes.

The Girls Aloud singer’s new-found lust for life was reflected in these floral beauties that she wore to the birthday party of bandmate Kimberley Walsh’s boyfriend Justin Scott on Friday at Vanilla in central London.

Justin may have insisted on a dodgy trousers theme as Nicola Roberst turned up in a pair of questionable denims.

The girls had earlier met up with bandmates Sarah Harding and Nadine Coyle to discuss a Girls Aloud comeback tour.

Given Sarah’s recovery from rehab, it’s understandable why she didn’t attend Justin’s bash.

But it appears that poor old Nadine had been left in her hotel room, wondering if she flopped at the long-awaited reunion.