ONTD

Cheryl was left bloodied and bruised following the early morning car crash. The singer, 29, and her manager and close friend Will.i.am managed to escape the accident with only minor injuries.

The pair were pictured with blood streaming down their noses and mouths as they sat dazed in a £100,000 Cadillac in the early hours of Wednesday in Los Angeles.

Both left hospital wearing neck braces, but friends of Miss Cole insisted it was only a ‘precautionary measure’ – and within hours, the singer was boarding a flight to the UK with her arm in a sling.

Cheryl, who has a series of appearances planned to plug her new single Under The Sun, was said to be ‘shaken’ following the incident, but a source insisted: ‘It looked worse than it was.

‘Of course, Cheryl was really shaken up. The hospitals will give you a neck brace as a precaution, but she’s gearing up for a full day of promotion, she’s fine.’

The passenger side airbag apparently failed to open and Miss Cole was thrown headfirst into the dashboard, leaving her bleeding, bruised and wiping away tears. 

Witnesses said that Will.i.am’s airbag inflated and hit him in the face, which caused a nose bleed.

Police were called to the scene  and the stars were taken to nearby Cedars-Sinai hospital, emerging wearing neck braces.

But both Miss Cole and Will.i.am were quick to reassure fans. Will.i.am wrote on Twitter: ‘Car accidents are not dope. I’m glad I’m OK.’ Responding to a friend, he added: ‘[Cheryl] and I are fine. Just a little #wiplash (sic).’

When asked by Capital Breakfast co-presenter Lisa Snowdon if will.i.am was a bad driver, Cheryl replied: 'That bad a talker, I would say. He was talking the face off us... He was talking about Nasa and Mars and his song.'

The American songwriter drove into a parked car while they were out for a takeaway at McDonald's.