Cheryl Cole heads to Malibu with Derek Hough as she continues her recovery from malaria

Stateside recovery: Cheryl Cole and Derek Hough arrive at Los Angeles International Airport last night


She has spent the past month battling the malaria she caught in Africa.

Now Cheryl Cole is heading to the sunny but safer climes of California to help with her recuperation.

The 27-year-old singer and X Factor judge flew to Los Angeles just a day after making her first public appearance since being treated in hospital.


Mrs Cole will spend the next three weeks in the U.S. and is believed to be heading to the beach-side resort of Malibu.

She tried to keep her holiday a secret by flying to the States via Paris with her close friend, dancer Derek Hough, but the pair were spotted as they left Los Angeles airport late on Thursday.

Mrs Cole, dressed in a blue jumpsuit, oversized sunglasses and gladiator sandals, immediately separated from Hough, in a black tracksuit, baseball cap and sunglasses, as they left the terminal.

The couple are thought to be staying at Hollywood hotel the Sunset Marquis, popular with musicians, before making their way down the coast.