Ex-factor as Cheryl and Ashley split

The separation followed a fortnight of uncertainty after claims the England star had been unfaithful during the pair's three-and-a-half-year marriage.

X Factor judge Cheryl returned home after a spell in Los Angeles, while Ashley fled their mansion.

The singer had been lying low in Los Angeles, where she was comforted by dancer Derek Hough, 24, who appears in her latest video.

Her spokesman said: "Cheryl Cole is separating from her husband Ashley Cole. Cheryl asks the media to respect her privacy during this difficult time."

The singer, who topped the charts with Fight For This Love, stuck by Ashley after allegations of his infidelity surfaced two years ago.

However, further allegations that his phone had been used to send photographs to a glamour model and indulge in "sex text", plus further kiss-and-tell revelations, appear to have been too much of a strain on the relationship.

Cheryl, 26, maintained a dignified silence in recent days, letting her high-profile performance at the Brit Awards a week ago, for which she had removed her wedding band, do the talking. She won respect for playing on despite her heartache.

The singer's announcement about the end of their marriage came just four hours after she touched down at Heathrow.

The star hid behind sunglasses and a trilby hat and was dressed in black when she flew into Britain yesterday at around noon. She arrived at her 6 million Surrey mansion in a Mercedes half an hour later.

Ashley, who has been out of action from the Chelsea team because of a broken ankle, left the home a few hours earlier.

Last night, publicist Max Clifford said he believed the split might help the singer's career.

He said: "It's obviously sad, but predictable in view of the last week or two.

"It must have been a hard decision because clearly she loves him and, in spite of everything, that will have been a very, very painful thing."

He said the public nature of the revelations was "incredibly painful but also incredibly humiliating".

Ashley's injury has cast doubt on his chances of making the England squad for this summer's World Cup finals in South Africa.

He could also face disciplinary action by Chelsea following the allegations over his private life.