Cher had to throw away a wig because it was infested with spiders.

The 'Believe' star was upset when one of her favourite orange headpieces went missing, but one of her assistants explained she had thrown it out after discovering it was infested with creepy crawlies.

A friend told the National Enquirer magazine: ''The staffer told Cher she thrown out the wig and its storage box because spiders were nesting in the hairy headpiece and she even saw their eggs in it.

''Not wanting creepy crawlies all over her superstar boss, the staff all agreed it was the best thing to ditch the wig rather than trying to clean it. Cher agreed and ordered them to call an exteminator.''

Cher has long been a fan of outrageous wigs - sporting one made entirely from newspaper trimmings for her recent 'Woman's World' single - despite having perfectly normal hair, because they make it easy for her to change her look.

She has previously said: ''My real hair is all under here, real tight to the head, that's all. It is long and brunette. There's nothing wrong with my hair, but I love wigs, and always have. They are so low maintenance. It just makes it easier to change my image.''