Cheryl Cole has appeared to hit back following comments made by her former protege Cher Lloyd.

Cher recently said she'd only perform with the Girls Aloud star if she sang live, and that she'd not heard from Cheryl since she was mentored by her on the 2010 X Factor.

Asked if she would consider singing with the ex-judge, Cher told Real Radio North West's Real Breakfast Show earlier this week: "Maybe, if she'd sing live with me."

When told that it sounded like she was posing a challenge to Cheryl, the teenager replied: "Well it always is nowadays, when you ain't got the nifty little buttons to press."

When the show's presenter asked Cher if she was referring to autotune, she replied: "What, oh no? Never, never ever!"

But Cheryl last night appeared to be referring to Cher when she tweeted: "Be Careful who you kick on your way up...They kick you twice as hard on your way back down."

The former X Factor judge added: "Unappreciation is ugly."