Cheryl divorce: Cheryl to be bridesmaid at best friend's wedding as her own marriage breaks down

Cheryl Fernandez-Versini is to be a bridesmaid at her best friend's wedding, just weeks after reports surfaced that her own marriage is to end. Former Girls Aloud bandmate Kimberley Walsh is due to tie the knot with her partner of 11 years, former Triple 8 boy band star Justin Scott in Barbados at the end of January.

The X Factor judge and fellow bandmate Nicola Roberts will be supporting Walsh on her big day. A source told The Sun: "Kimberley sorted the date for her wedding ages ago and Cheryl is going to be there to ensure the big day goes to plan. She's played a huge part in the preparations and being involved had at least provided her with a bit of a distraction from her own troubles."

Kimberley and Justin, who have one-year-old son Bobby together, are also expected to invite Cheryl and Nicola to join them on honeymoon.

The news comes just as Cheryl reportedly initiated divorce proceedings following her split from French entrepreneur Jean Bernard. On 9 January, the Sunday Mirror reported that the 32-year-old singer has begun formal legal proceedings by filing paperwork, citing "irreconcilable differences" and "unreasonable behavior" as the reason for the split. The newspaper claimed the couple secretly split five months ago. They were last seen together in public at I'm A Celeb hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly's 40<sup>th birthday party. It was later rumoured that Cheryl spent the Christmas holidays with her family in her London home, while Jean Bernard was spotted living it up with friends in Miami.

The pair have also been embroiled in a very public social media spat in recent weeks, fueling reports that their marriage is on the rocks. The 32-year-old, who was previously married to footballer Ashley Cole, made her first public appearance since the divorce news broke, to attend the launch of a new boxing gym on Thursday (14 January), KOBOX in London, which is owned by her manager Lily England's boyfriend, Shane Collins.

The girls have remained the best of friends since Girls Aloud officially split in 2013, over a decade after being formed on Popstars: The Rivals in 2002. While it is not known whether former bandmates Nadine Coyle or Sarah Harding will be attending the wedding, Harding commented on the divorce reports saying: "Cheryl's a strong girl and she'll bounce back - she always does."

Despite her own heartbreak, as she comes to terms with her second divorce, Cheryl will put a brave face on her own marital woes to be part of her best friend's big day.