Cheryl ‘dumps Ashley by text’ as fifth woman named

The singer Cheryl Cole is reported to have sent her husband Ashley Cole a text message at the weekend telling him their marriage is over after newspaper reports linked the Chelsea and England footballer with a fifth woman. She is Ann Corbitt, who claims Ashley enjoyed a one-night stand with her in Seattle last July during Chelsea's pre-season tour of America.

The Sun reports that Cheryl, currently in Los Angeles where she has been seen out and about with 24-year-old dancer Derek Hough, sent a text to Ashley reading: "Move out. It's over."

It is thought the Girls Aloud singer and X Factor judge will return to Britain this week to begin divorce proceedings. A "close friend" is quoted by the Sun as saying: "Cheryl has decided enough is enough and she is going to divorce him. She has told Ashley to get out of the family home because she does not wish to see him. She has no desire to hear any more excuses or explanations."

Meanwhile, Ashley Cole faces a fine of £400,000 and could even be forced out of Chelsea FC after allegations emerged in the press that he had persuaded the football club's head of media, Steve Atkins, to advise Corbitt on how to deal with intrusive newspaper reports.

Corbitt told the News of the World that Cole had bombarded her with phone calls begging her not to say anything about their night together in Seattle.

"He would literally beg me not to tell anyone what happened between us and then repeat the strategy, 'If you don't say anything, the newspaper has nothing to print'."

She then received an email from Atkins explaining in bullet points how to fob off a female reporter who had got in touch with her claiming she knew all about the night she had spent with Ashley.

Corbitt told the News of the World that she had kept quiet about the affair until now, but was owning up to it after reading about Cole's sex texts to the glamour model Sonia Wild. ·