Cheryl Cole has revealed that she spent a few months doing nothing but eating, after she recovered from malaria last year.

The then X Factor judge contracted the disease during a trip to Tanzania and almost died in hospital in London because of complications.

She told InStyle magazine that doctors warned her she needed to put on some weight, if she wanted to be able to recover fully from the health scare, because she was too skinny and had been dieting too much.

Cheryl told the magazine that her whole life changed after the incident, saying:

“I had to take good care of myself and I was told to stop exercising and to gain weight to get well. I just ate everything.

“The malaria also ate away at my muscles but let’s not get grim. It opened my eyes to health and things I hadn’t focused on before.”

Cheryl has been taking it easy this year, after being sacked from The X Factor USA in May. She has kept a low profile, only being spotted out every now and again at an event with her new manager Will.i.am.

She said that being ill made her re-evaluate her life and priorities, adding:

“It’s now less about work, work, work and more about making time to chill and be with friends and family.”

According to former Girls Aloud bandmate Nadine Coyle, she is not and will never be one of those friends!

Cole also admitted that despite the hundreds of pictures of her in designer dresses and huge heels, she is happiest when she’s in her pyjamas, relaxing at home.

She laughed: “I am at my happiest in my PJs and slippers, with a cup of tea.

“When I have the most beautiful pair of heels on, I’m always dying to take them off.”

Read the full interview in the latest issue of InStyle on sale Thursday.