Cheryl Cole has been encouraged to ditch The X Factor and strike out on her own by manager Will.i.am of The Black Eyed Peas.

It was rumoured earlier this week that Cheryl could return to the hit reality show with Simon Cowell admitting he would love to have her back. However, when asked about the possibility of this happening, Will.i.am told The Mirror that he doesn't see the point.

"Why does she need it?" he said. "Why are you going to make someone-else rich? Cheryl needs her own show."

Will added that he is confident that Cheryl's music will be enough to put her firmly back on the map, saying: "Cheryl's the best. I was just hanging out with her on Tuesday, listening to her new stuff and getting her feedback on things and she has some really great tunes."

"The Cheryl that we know now is different from the one we’re going to know 10 years from now."