Cheryl Cole has admitted that she is terrified about her new solo career, but says that she needed to move out of her safety zone.

Cole told Sugar: “The thing is, for the past seven years the other girls have been my safety blanket. If I forget my words on stage or something, there’s always four other girls that can pick it up.

“Now I’m completely on my own. I wake up in the middle of the night sick with pure fear going, ‘What am I doing?’”

She added: “Girls Aloud is becoming a bit too ‘normal’. I need a new challenge, a kick up the bum.

“It’s good to feel frightened. Being out of your comfort zone isn’t always a bad thing.”