Cheryl has spoken about the reasons why she took a break from music.

The singer is due to release her new album 'Only Human' on November 10 - her first record since 2012.

The Brit spent much of last year out of the limelight after a reunion with Girls Aloud.

Speaking in the December issue of Marie Claire, the X Factor judge said she temporarily stepped away from music because she didn't have the enthusiasm at the time and wanted to look after her mental well-being.

Cheryl said: "People were like, 'You're crazy, you shouldn't do this. It's a bad career move'. [I said], 'It's me or me mental health'. Honest. My gut instinct was like, 'It's enough'. For the first time since I wanted to be a popstar, I didn't have any fire in my belly. Without realising it, I had gone to a dark place.

"I needed a reality check and get some real feelings back."

The singer meanwhile is currently No.1 on the UK singles chart with her latest effort 'I Don't Care'.

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