Cheryl Cole is a fitness buff

Cheryl Cole is said to have been so insecure about her looks and weight that she would go on regular purges to stay slim.

A friend of Cheryl’s former bodyguard Craig Balkam said the 28-year-old would consume nothing but lemon juice, smoke “at least 20 Marlboro a day”, and head down to the gym at 5am to avoid photographers.

“She did these lemon cleanses where she wouldn’t consume anything except lemon juice and water with a dash of cayenne pepper and maple syrup,” the Daily Mail quoted the friend as telling the Sunday Mirror.

“She became a fan of the Tracey Anderson gym in Studio City in LA.

“Cheryl worked out so hard she ended up getting sore legs,” he stated.

He added how she’d continue her workouts in her hotel rooms with fitness videos and was so insecure about her figure that she’d always wear high heels" despite being left with sore feet.