Cheryl Cole: 'Alesha is a strong woman'

Cheryl Cole has backed Alesha Dixon to get past the criticism of her judging skills on Strictly Come Dancing.

The Girls Aloud star said that her experience of climbing up Mount Kilimanjaro with Dixon made her confident that the popstar would be able to survive the backlash against her appointment.

Speaking to Staffordshire and South Cheshire radio station Signal 1, she said: "I don't need to give Alesha any advice. Honestly, she's a really strong woman.

"I can't tell you how hard it was to climb that mountain [Kilimanjaro]. I promise you, it was one of the hardest things I've ever done in my life, both mentally and physically. If she can do that then she can get through this."

Cole added: "I haven't seen the programme, but I think she's well qualified. I wish her the best of luck and I hope it all backs off for her."

Yesterday, Dixon described the response to her debut judging performance as a "storm in a teacup" and insisted that she would not be leaving the show. Meanwhile, fellow judge Craig Revel Horwood described the backlash as "horrendous", arguing that the popstar offered a fresh insight to the panel.