(BANG) -Cheryl Cole can't eat when she's stressed about men.

The 'Fight For This Love' singer - who split from husband Ashley Cole in 2010 - loses her appetite when she has personal problems, though she has always tried to watch what she eats since she shot to fame after taking part in 'Popstars: The Rivals' in 2002.

Cheryl's niece Melissa Armstrong said: ''Cheryl tells us that if she gets stressed with men, she can't eat. When she went on 'Popstars: The Rivals', I remember [Girls Aloud] were all upset because they were told to lose weight. That was ridiculous.

''I know Cheryl loves her takeaways, and she did tell us that she wanted to lose weight, cos she joked she'd become a pop star and put on weight and that definitely wasn't what was supposed to happen.''

However, Melissa admits Cheryl will indulge in her favorite takeaways when relaxing at home with her family in Newcastle, North East England.

Melissa added to heat magazine: ''She likes to dress down when she's with us. She's in tracksuit bottoms - sometimes pyjamas - and no make-up and she looks stunning. We always have a Chinese takeaway - her favourite is duck.''

Despite being catapulted into the limelight 10 years ago, Melissa is adamant Cheryl is the same small town girl Newcastle she always was.

Her niece added: ''She's a very proud Geordie girl. She's someone you can just to and chat to at a party. She loves you to call her up and tell her what's going on - who's ordered a new washing machine and that.''