AceShowbiz - Cheryl Cole has lost a huge amount of weight during her battle against deadly disease malaria, according to U.K. reports. The British singer was diagnosed with the mosquito-borne illness after collapsing at a photo-shoot in early July.

She was under the watchful eyes of medics at a London hospital until she was released last week, on July 15 and ordered to rest at home. But the Girls Aloud star has a long road back to full health after her weight plummeted by seven pounds (3.1 kgs) during the ordeal - taking the already skinny star down to a worrying 98 pounds (44.4 kgs), according to Britain's News of the World.

A source tells the publication, "Cheryl is far too thin. She was seven-and-a-half stone to eight stone (105 pounds/47.6 kgs) before but she doesn't have any meat on her now. Her hip bones literally stick out. She won't be dancing for some time. Her routines were exhausting."

"Cheryl understands that she now has to follow medical advice. Her ridiculously busy work routine is off so there's time for her to focus on getting healthy and putting the weight back on."