Cheryl Tweedy has been branded "phenomenal" by her 2:22 A Ghost Story co-star, Jake Wood, who has heaped praise on the singer for her "challenging" West End role.
It comes just a day after fans were left gutted that the singer had been replaced in the production on Mother's Day, although her representative confirmed this was a pre-agreed day off.
The former Girls Aloud star, 39, left fans stunned when it was announced she would be swapping performing songs such as Call My Name for an acting role.
But while some may have turned their nose up at the news, the hitmaker has received widespread praise with her co-stars also jumping to her defence.
Actor Jake Wood, 50, explained that while he believes Cheryl may have doubted herself before her debut, she's gone on to offer stellar performances for crowds.
He told the Mirror: "I think sometimes the people that are very successful in one area I don't think they necessarily take on challenges in other areas unless they think they're going to be quite good at them.
"I think it's definitely the case for Cheryl Cole, she's been acting what, seven, eight weeks and she's phenomenal, incredible.
"She's never dropped a line, is living within every moment and just truthful and powerful performance and you just never know what to expect."
Jake continued: "That's part of the thing, isn't it? People don't know, I'm not even sure if she knew if she could pull it off.
"I think she must have thought she could have, people that are successful, they don't necessarily, you know, undertake things unless they think they can be quite good at them, she's been extraordinary.
"It's just unbelievable what level she's at, I've worked with lots of actors over the years and she's up there – she more than holds her own on stage, it's quite remarkable.
"You have to come and see to understand what she's doing up there but for someone who's never acted before and to be putting in the performance, it's mind-blowing."
But while Jake is currently working alongside Cheryl, he had been part of the original cast who launched the show shortly after lockdown restrictions eased alongside Lily Allen.
"I was a late replacement on this and had the opportunity to step in with Cheryl Cole and the chance to revisit the character and revisit the play," he said.
Discussing the role of Jenny going to female celebrities, Jake explained: "I think it was very clever originally when they cast Lily, I thought that was really exciting.
"The play reinvents itself really, it's going from strength to strength, and audiences love it," he gushed.
A spokesperson for Nimax Theatres told the Mirror: "Cheryl is scheduled to perform at Tuesday's performance of 2:22, however, the producers cannot guarantee the appearance of a particular artist at any performance. Appearance could be subject to many factors including illness and holidays."
