Cheryl Cole: 'Cher Lloyd is not stroppy'

Cheryl Cole has dismissed suggestions that Cher Lloyd throws tantrums and is difficult to work with.

The singer, who mentors Lloyd on The X Factor, said that she would not be able to "handle" stroppy behaviour from her finalists.

Referring to a report that Lloyd had become angry over an outfit picked out for her for last weekend's show, Cole explained: "I like to hear their opinions. I'm not going to say, 'That's what you're wearing, that's what you're doing'.

"But there's no stropping going on, I wouldn't be able to handle that."

The 27-year-old added that she sees a resemblance between herself and the teenager.

She told Sara Cox on Radio 1: "She reminds me of a young me completely. Even the type of music she listens to, how she performs.

"Even the way she performs - you know, when you forget the camera is there and pull faces, she's doing that at the moment. People just need to get used to the performance."

Cole also insisted that the 17-year-old is naturally slim and does not have an issue with food.

She said: "Whenever I see Cher she has a chocolate bar in her mouth - I actually don't know where it goes.

"She is very, very petite naturally, she's a tiny little thing. She hasn't grown into a woman yet."