All nine Comic Relief celebrity climbers reached the top of Mt Kilimanjaro in Tanzania after an agonising slog. Girls Aloud singer Cheryl Cole was among the first of the team to summit the 19,300ft (5,900m) peak at the end of a six-hour trek described as "hell on earth".

Battling oxygen levels half of those at sea level and temperatures of minus 15, the exhausted pop star was joined by TV celebrities Fearne Cotton, Denise Van Outen and Ben Shephard as dawn broke. They were followed to the top of the highest point in Africa by Cole's band mate Kimberley Walsh, singer Ronan Keating and Take That star Gary Barlow - all three of whom were said to be "in agony".

Radio 1 DJ Chris Moyles also made it up, trailed in by pop star Alesha Dixon. She was said to be in "severe pain" at the back of the group, but refused to stop.

The celebrities' effort has now raised nearly £1.4m (¤1.56m) for charity.

They set off on the summit bid just before midnight on Friday from the peak's highest camp. Several members including Cotton and Cole suffered from altitude sickness during the previous five-day ascent.

They all had to endure sleepless nights and aches and pains as the lack of oxygen caused havoc with normal routines.