Corset fan Cheryl 'shouldn't change her accent'
April 14, 2009 
Cheryl Cole should not drop her Newcastle accent when she takes the X Factor show to the US, a linguistics expert has said.
The corset-loving Girls Aloud singer has reportedly been advised by fellow judge Simon Cowell to take elocution lessons before she crosses the Atlantic.
Apparently, it's because American audiences won't understand what the corset fan is saying unless she drops her Geordie accent.
But Joan Beal, professor of English Language at the University of Sheffield, said that Cheryl, 25, could be making a risky move and placing her UK fan base under threat if she decides to go ahead with elocution lessons.
"If she is seen to be changing her accent for commercial reasons, this could damage her image here," she explained.
"In the UK, the Geordie accent is viewed very positively and studies of reactions to accents consistently show that it is considered friendly, honest and generally attractive."
