Flight For This Love: Cheryl Cole jets off to LA after feisty Brits performance (but what's that ring on her wedding finger?)

By Chris Johnson, Ben Todd and Sara Nathan

Taking flight: Cheryl Cole seen at Heathrow Airport today heading to LA just 12 hours after her performance at the Brit awards, wearing a graphic top of a woman who appears to by crying

Cheryl Cole is leaving cheating husband Ashley to sweat it out a bit longer as she jetted out of London alone this morning bound for Los Angeles.

The singer, who is livid with the Chelsea star over claims he cheated on her with a blonde secretary, made a clear statement that her music came first by pressing ahead with a scheduled week-long recording and writing session for her solo work.


Cheryl wore a blinged up ring on her wedding finger today, but not her £160,000 diamond wedding band

Rather than staying in the UK to talk through her marital problems - as many in her position would - career-driven Cheryl left Ashley holed up at their Surrey mansion recovering from a broken ankle.

Her transatlantic trip comes less than 12 hours after she put on a hard-faced performance at the Brit Awards, without her wedding ring, which she banned her husband from attending.

Today the singer was again minus her £160,000 diamond wedding band and wore a blinged-up gold one in its place.

Perhaps it was a gift from Ashley, who bought her a new wedding ring back in 2007 - worth double the price of the first - after he allegedly cheated on her with hairdresser Aimee Walton.

A spokesman for the singer told Mail Online today: 'Cheryl Cole is going to America for writing and recording sessions.

This is a session that was scheduled last month. She is away for a week. We have no further comment to make.'

There is also speculation the 26-year-old X Factor judge could be visiting Victoria Beckham who has offered Cheryl her support having herself faced claims husband David Beckham cheated on her with Rebecca Loos back in 2004.

While Cheryl has maintained a dignified silence over her husband's indiscretion last night she made her feelings clear during a centrepiece Brits performance - by not wearing her wedding ring.

And in the circumstances, most fans would forgive her awful lip-synching which at times was quite clearly out of time with the lyrics.


Two sides of Cheryl: Mrs Cole's gestures say it all during her performance at the Brit Awards - one moment she's begging, the next she's angry as she lip-synchs Fight For This Love

After arriving on stage to a standing ovation and the biggest cheer of the night, she stared directly at a camera, contorted her face and belted out the lyrics 'We've got to fight for this love'.

And during her performance fans in the crowd were heard shouting 'dump him, dump him'.

It was a stark message to her husband Ashley who she had banned from the glittering ceremony after it was alleged that he had cheated on her with a blonde secretary.

Girls Aloud bandmates Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh certainly were on hand to support as they cheered from the sidelines alongside her mother Joan.


Showing their support: The singer's Girls Aloud bandmates Nicola Roberts (right) and Kimberley Walsh along with Cheryl's mother Joan (second right) clapped her on from the sidelines

Waving her ringless wedding finger around, the singer performed a high-energy dance routine with two costume changes from a white gold trimmed mac to a black sequined bodice and hoodie

In the middle of the performance the 1993 dance anthem Show Me Love was mixed with her track for a brief interlude, before Cheryl emerged again in her second outfit


Angry lady: What Ashley made of his wife's feisty performance can only be imagined

With its bitter words, the dance track was a telling choice of song, with the backing lyrics: 'Heartbreaks and promises. I've had more than my share. I'm tired of giving my love and getting nowhere.'

Host Peter Kay quipped after the song: 'Never has a truer word been spoken.'


Legs on show: She started off in a Victoria Beckham-style military trenchcoat, cut short at the front

Miss Cole didn't even have to fret over making an acceptance speech - she lost out in the Best British Single category last night to newcomers JLS, who performed Beat Again earlier in the show.

In terms of prizes, the Brits belonged to U.S. star Lady Gaga who picked up three awards, winning International Female Artist, International Breakthrough Act and International Album.


Lookalike movers: Cheryl Cole's performance last night was all about the action as she mimed the words to her song


Lily Allen was the big winner among the British female nominees after she was handed the prize for Female Solo Artist. She beat Leona Lewis, Pixie Lott and Florence And The Machine.

Boyband JLS also picked up Best Breakthrough Act while the Spice Girls were honoured with the prize for Best Brits Performance of 30 Years. Robbie Williams was handed the Outstanding Contribution to Music, while Oasis scooped the award for the Best Album of 30 years.

But the real applause was saved for Mrs Cole after her plucky performance of Fight For This Love


Going for the jugular: Cheryl blended in the dance anthem Show Me Love to her No.1 hit Fight For This Love during her full-throttle display


In the past few days her husband Ashley Cole has been embroiled in scandal, with claims that he had sex twice with an unnamed blonde secretary before Chelsea matches in 2008.

On one occasion, Cole, 29, is said to have even turned the television set up in the hotel room where they were meeting because he did not want Chelsea captain - and fellow love cheat - John Terry, who was in the room next door, to hear their tryst.


Stripping for action: Cheryl Cole peeled off the military uniform as the tempo lifted for the second half of her performance


It is believed that Mrs Cole, 26, is bracing herself for more revelations of her husband's philandering in the coming days. But she refused to pull out of the Brits.

A source revealed: 'Cheryl was determined that the show must go on, come what may. She is a professional through-and-through, and was not going to hide.


Singing through the pain barrier: Cheryl puts everything into her performance as the world wonders whether she'll end her marriage


'By going ahead with her performance in front of the celebrity audience and the millions watching on TV, she was sending out a clear message to Ashley that he will not take her pride away - whatever he does.'

However, Mrs Cole arrived at the Earl's Court venue in West London looking grim-faced in a Puffa jacket.


In your face display: Cheryl held nothing back as she clambered on top of male backing singers in her strange hooded leotard


She then went straight into her dressing room. All her planned Brits interviews had been cancelled and, according to sources, all the backstage staff were asked not to speak to the singer or look at her, unless they needed to.

But outside, on the red carpet, others were more than happy to claim the limelight. The up-and-coming ladies of the music industry tried their best to outdo each other in a series of striking outfits.

Lily Allen opted for a bizarre floor-length shiny black frock with a high gold and red fringe around the neck, while Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine wore a thigh-skimming numbe and an incredible pair of boots.


But, typically, Lady Gaga managed to steal the show in a white Marie Antoinette-style pompadour wig and embroidered face mask. She also wore a tiered teepee of a dress but that came off inside to reveal more of her body than usual.

She had asked to tone down her performance in the wake of Alexander McQueen's death but she wasn't going to let even that dampen her trademark extravagance, of which the out-there designer would no doubt have approved.


source: dailymail