Pop star opens up about terrifying brush with death

Cheryl Cole has opened up about her frightening near death experience after she was given just 24-hours to live.

The Say My Name singer has had a great year so far, re-joining the X-Factor judging panel and working on her upcoming fourth album.

However in a frank interview for Sports Relief, the Geordie star shares her terrifying story of how close she came to dying when she contracted malaria following a trip to Tanzania five years ago.

In a video that will be broadcast tonight during Sport Relief, the star sent out a plea for donations, that’ll help secure medication and essential supplies like mosquito nets for those in need.

“When I climbed Kilimanjaro for Comic Relief five years ago it was honestly one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. The motivation lay in knowing it could help in eradicating malaria and ultimately saving lives by providing mosquito nets,” the 30-year-old said. “I didn’t think for one minute that only a year later I would get malaria myself and become so ill that at one point I was given 24 hours to live.”

Sport Relief takes place all weekend and every penny raised will go to help some of the most disadvantaged people around the world.