Gordon in the morning: Nadine Coyle is the new Robbie Williams

The really strange thing about the coverage of the decision of Nadine Coyle to quit Girls Aloud (or, rather, the rest to quit Nadine) is the way it's being pitched.

Gordon, having already restored Cheryl's married name, seems to be running some sort of party line. This isn't a split in the band, it's merely a reunion to which one person is not going to turn up:

GIRLS ALOUD are definitely getting back together next year - but not all of them.

The fantastic five will be slimmed down to a fabulous four as NADINE COYLE will have no part in the reunion.

SARAH HARDING, NICOLA ROBERTS, KIMBERLEY WALSH and CHERYL COLE have begun sketching ideas for their comeback - but their Northern Irish bandmate does not figure in their plans.

It's been something of a running joke how quickly bands reunite after their splits these days, but I think Girls Aloud might have the record for having the reunion before they've even split up.

Whoever has fed the story to The Sun is keen to rubbish Nadine:

A source said: "It's been a painful decision for Sarah, Nicola, Kimberley and Cheryl but they have decided that the future of Girls Aloud lies without Nadine.

"They've all been on a roller-coaster ride since 2002 and have just grown apart from Nadine.

"Relations with her had been strained within the camp for a while."

And if they weren't before, they will be now.