X-Factor judge, Cheryl Cole to divorce?

[HMG] – In news that will do the ratings for X Factor no harm at all, it’s been announced that Cheryl Cole is to divorce her British soccer-star husband after a long list of stories of his alleged affairs.

“Cheryl is holding together, she’s extremely tough,” a friend told the UK’s Daily Mail. “There was a point when she was going to ride it out, but she’s heard rumors of more women and can’t face it. They will split within weeks.”

The 26-year old singer added fuel to the claims, landing at London’s Heathrow airport yesterday without her $160,000 engagement ring or the one from their wedding.

The problems began after her husband of three years, Ashley Cole was accused of sending nude photos of himself to an unnamed topless model. Another woman then claimed she and Ashley had shared a hotel room the night before he played in an international soccer match.

All the claims against Ashley [who plays for British soccer club, Chelsea] are so far entirely unproven.

If the divorce really happens, money will become the X-Factor — Cheryl earns $2.2-million a year from the show, has endorsement deals with Coke and L’Oreal and sold their Wedding photos to ‘OK Magazine’ for $2.3-million. So she’s guessed to be worth in excess of $9-million.

But her [soon to be ex?] husband is worth about $22-million. And when they married, Cheryl claimed she ‘didn’t believe’ in prenuptial agreements, so you can see where this story is likely to go.

Ashley’s managers did not respond to reporters inquiries, and Cheryl’s reps would only say that their client ‘is in Los Angeles to record tracks with The Black Eyed Peas for her upcoming album.’

So the story’s in limbo until she decides…