Cheryl Cole is reportedly trying to distance herself from Derek Hough because she wants to be a star in her own right.

Cole is rumoured to have been dating the dancer, but has now apparently decided that she needs to go it alone if she is going to find fame in the US.

A source told Now: "Cheryl doesn't want to be known as a dancer's girlfriend. But she also doesn't want to seem heartless, so she's slowly distancing herself.

"Derek's finding it hard, so he's turning to Shannon [his ex-girlfriend] for advice," the source added. "He wants to know if the false stories about his sexuality turned Cheryl off, in the same way they affected Shannon when they split in 2009."

Source: MSN