AceShowbiz - British singer Cheryl Cole has come under fire from anti-debt campaigners after revealing she took an unsecured loan to kick start her career. The Girls Aloud singer admitted she borrowed from a neighborhood 'loan shark' to help her fund her pop star dreams as a teenager growing up in Newcastle, England.

She said, "I got a temporary loan from the guy that comes round your house, to get myself something - some hairspray, make-up and an outfit. It was the latest thing from (clothes store) River Island. It was the top everyone wanted."

But charity campaigners insist her remarks set a bad example for young girls, who could end up with huge debts due to extortionate interest rates charged by unofficial lenders. A spokesperson for the National Debtline says, "Unfortunately, unlike in Cheryl's case, there are thousands of people who don't get the dream lifestyle afterwards and pay the price."