Nicole Scherzinger has blasted Cheryl Cole's version of their first encounter, after the Girls Aloud beauty claimed the Pussycat Doll repeatedly serenaded her when they met.
Cheryl recalled their introduction backstage at 'The X Factor' in her book, revealing she thought it was "really embarrassing" when the American singer gushed over her looks and belted out 'Promise This' over and over.
But Nicole has refuted the story, telling Fabulous magazine: "I'd like to give her the benefit of the doubt and hope that she would only have spoken highly of me because I've not spoken poorly of her.
"The story is I met her once at 'The X Factor' and I wanted to make her feel good. I said I'd heard her song on the radio and I think I sang the words 'promise this'. But I really don't know any lyrics after that. And then that is made out to be something else and I don't understand why. I don't understand why anybody would do that. It's been blown out of proportion and it's silly."
Cheryl painted a strange picture of Nicole in her autobiography when she wrote: "The first time I met Nicole was when she was performing on 'The X Factor' in London. 'Oh my God, Cheryl! You're just as pretty in real life! I heard your song on the radio!' she had gushed. It was really embarrassing."
She added: "Then she started singing Promise This to me, and I swear to God the woman sang the whole song, to my face. It was just so awkward, and every time I stood next to her she started singing it again.
"I thought how that would be like me going up to Britney and singing the whole of 'Baby, One More Time...' in her face. Can you imagine how weird that would be?"
