Cheryl Cole has been warned not to drop her Geordie accent after reports emerged that she was considering elocution lessons.

Cheryl is said to have been advised to soften her thick regional accent in a bid to crack America, however a language expert has warned that if she does this she may seriously affect her image in the UK.

“If she is seen to be changing her accent for commercial reasons, this could damage her image here…In the UK, the Geordie accent is viewed very positively and studies of reactions to accents consistently show that it is considered friendly, honest and generally attractive,” said Joan Beal, professor of English Language at Sheffield University.

“There are lots of voice coaches who claim to be able to soften regional accents, and I’m sure Cheryl would have access to reputable ones who’ve worked successfully with actors. But does she want to be seen as putting on an act?”