Apl.de.Ap thinks Cheryl Cole is a ''beautiful'' woman.

The Black Eyed Peas star is a big admirer of the pop beauty - who is managed by his bandmate will.i.am - and he particularly likes her down-to-earth ways.

Speaking at a fundraising evening for his charity's We Can Be Anything Campaign, he said: ''I love Cheryl, she's beautiful and just so nice.

''She's really normal, she came on a plane with the Peas once and she was tired, but it was only a small plane so there weren't any seats where she could lie down. But she didn't mind about that - she just lay down in the middle of the floor on the plane.''

Apl, 37, is currently single and admits he is on the looking for a wife, because he is keen to settle down and start a family.

He exclusively told BANG Showbiz: ''I'd like to have children one day, but I'm single at the moment so I'm looking for a wife. Yes, maybe I can find one while I'm in the UK.''

The We Can Be Anything Campaign is a joint advocacy of the Apl.de.Ap Foundation and Ninoy and Cory Aquino Foundation. The goal is to raise funds to build 10,000 classrooms all over the Philippines within two years in one of the country's biggest ever education reform projects.