Nicole Richie says cheerleading helped her lose her baby weight.

The 27-year-old star - who has a nine-month-old daughter Harlow with partner Joel Madden - credits her role on hit US TV show 'Chuck' for getting back her pre-pregnancy figure.

She said: "In 'Chuck', I play a cheerleader who ends up in a huge girly fight with an old classmate. We had a week of intense training with a martial arts guy to get ready for this scene and I loved every minute of it. If I had any baby weight left, that definitely got rid of it."

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It was previously claimed Nicole had hired personal trainer Harley Pasternak to start workouts just two weeks after giving birth because she was so unhappy with her body.

A source close to Nicole - who sparked rumours of an eating disorder before she fell pregnant because of her tiny frame - said: "Nicole feels huge right now. Her breasts are enormous and she finds it difficult to get comfortable. The change to her body has been drastic and it's been hard for Nicole to accept. She looks in the mirror and doesn't even recognise the person staring back at her."