Liam Payne and Cheryl's dynamic after brutal birth jibe and 'intense' rows

13 September 2023 , 11:42

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Inside Liam Payne and Cheryl's friendship (Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images)

Liam Payne and Girls Aloud star Cheryl enjoyed a solid relationship – until just after welcoming their first child, Bear, together.

The former couple announced their separation back in 2018 – months after welcoming Bear in 2017 – and over the coming years both gradually revealed more behind what went wrong in their romance. Cheryl first met Liam in 2008 when he was a 14-year-old hopeful on The X Factor and she was a judge. Their paths crossed again in 2015 when he returned to perform with One Direction and the rest is history.

Liam, 30, had dreamed of being a dad from the age of 16 and was determined to settle down and have a quiet life with Cheryl. She shared how Liam didn't want to do "the solo thing" after One Direction split but Cheryl, 40, encouraged him to give it a go. Then their relationship started to unravel. Liam has even claimed that Bear's arrival "ruined" their relationship, but for "all the right reasons". Here we delve into their dynamic after their split and their now close bond.

Liam and Cheryl split in 2018 (WireImage)

He shares son Bear Payne with ex-partner Cheryl (INSTAGRAM)

Close bond

The former couple still have a close connection and want the best for each other. Cheryl was said to be "really worried" about her ex after he was rushed to hospital before cancelling his tour. Liam developed a serious kidney infection and Cheryl is said to be concerned about him, particularly after his recent hospital dash. A source reportedly close to the Girls Aloud star, said: "Cheryl is really worried about Liam. As soon as she heard he was in hospital, she feared the worst.

"She's really protective of him and is worried no one is actually looking out for him." The source claimed his latest hospital stay was a "red flag" for Cheryl, who is 'well aware of the pressure to put talent on tour and make money,' reports Heat magazine.

Cheryl receives standing ovation with Girls Aloud pals supporting West End debut

Co-parenting

The exes live close to each other so they can both be around son Bear. Liam spends quality time with Bear and says Cheryl gives him free rein to do what he wants. "She is the best mum in the world. I couldn't ask for someone better," he told Logan Paul’s podcast Impaulsive. Liam shared: "I get to take my son to school one or two times a week and it's the best thing. The relationship we have now as friends has only grown more.

"We broke up for a reason and now she gives me full autonomy of my life and to do what I do and I know he's [Bear's] taken care of. He is all she cares about and I couldn't ask for more. They live like three minutes from my house. I always glue myself to where he is. My life now is his. My money is his. He's a lovely, lovely boy. We've been blessed."

Birth jibe

Following their split, Liam made a series of brutal comments and suggested son Bear was the reason behind their separation. In his Logan Paul interview, the One Direction star touched on the breakdown of his two-year relationship with Cheryl, and said: "To be honest with you, it ruined a relationship at that point – but for all the right reasons." He revealed it was scary when Bear was first born as Cheryl "haemorrhaged quite badly" after the birth.

This meant she had to rest for much of Bear's first day in the world – leaving a young Liam to care for his baby son. "It was me and a baby in the room and I had to take care of it. It was fun," he said.

Rows

Things started to unravel after Bear's arrival (Instagram)

Liam has opened up about having rows with Cheryl during their relationship and often aired it to the public. The singer joked about their arguments as split rumours started to emerge as he awkwardly made a dig about Cheryl's accent on the Capital Breakfast show. He said: "I’m a West Brom fan, but that’s not the problem. Sometimes it is! Well, this is the thing, I mean Cheryl’s not really that massively into football but she likes to bring up where they’re from when this happens, isn’t it, it’s like ‘oh well I’m from here so I’m gonna do this’, erm, that was a great Geordie accent… [laughs]. That is what she sounds like in the morning!

"It’s like battle of the grandads at the minute, and he’s going to have a tough little choice on his hands at some point because you’re going to have to disappoint some grandparents. Or he’ll just have to go ‘you know what, forget this, I like ice hockey’. Pick a different sport."

Just a month before their split, Liam humiliated Cheryl when he interrupted her on the toilet during a live phone chat with BBC Radio 1's Nick Grimshaw. He revealed he was standing outside the bathroom... and Cheryl was inside. "She's actually in the toilet, this is hilarious," he told Grimmy. "Don't ask her in the toilet," Grimmy begged while laughing through his hands. But Liam was past the point of no return, and surprised his partner by asking her about her toilet habits.

"Oh she's coming out now, one second. Let's find out what's going on. First off, was it a number one or two?" he laughed. "Erm, she says 'stop it'. She's going to kill me after this phone call, this could be the last thing you ever-" Cheryl then wrestled the phone off him and spoke to Grimmy herself, quipping that the radio star should join her entourage. The Girls Aloud star was also said to be "furious" with Liam after he gave an interview confessing they were having relationship 'struggles' – just a few weeks after they were hit with split claims. He revealed all about their private life, including that they had struggled to make time for themselves after baby Bear's birth in 2017.

Mia O'Hare