It’s been a rocky few years for Cheryl in terms of her love life, career and of course, the devastating death of her Girls Aloud bandmate and close friend Sarah Harding. So fans were delighted when she recently announced her long-awaited comeback to life in the spotlight, swapping music for acting with a starring role in hit West End play 2:22 A Ghost Story.
But shortly after announcing her role in the thriller – for which she’ll reportedly make a whopping £1k a night – to her 3.2 million Instagram followers, the 39-year-old faced backlash over her lack of acting experience, with many angry comments online.
One theatre-goer ranted, “Such a shame... A lot of talented trained actresses out there. And then you get her getting the part with no experience whatsoever.” Another added, “I want to see this play so bad but I don’t want to see it with the stunt casting”.
Cheryl has had a couple of small acting roles in the past, in Hollywood movie What To Expect When You’re Expecting, and appeared as a pushy celebrity agent in 2020 film, Four Kids And It. And pals say while she’s been nervously excited to take the leap into her first serious acting role following a three-year hiatus from the limelight, the barrage of criticism has dented her already wavering confidence.
A source says, “This is a huge risk for Cheryl as she’s not only stepping out of her comfort zone, but she’s putting herself back out in the firing line.
“Her music career has dried up and acting is her final shot at relaunching herself, so if this doesn’t work, it’s pretty much game over in terms of performing, which is the one thing she loves doing more than anything in the world.
“Cheryl’s self-esteem had already been knocked by her career decline over the last few years, so to face negativity so quickly after announcing her new role was a big knock and it’s understandably been a blow to what she’d hoped would be such an exciting time.”
The mum-of-one – who shares five-year-old son, Bear, with her ex Liam Payne, 29 – became the nation’s sweetheart when she joined The X Factor judging panel in 2008 – launching her successful solo pop career a year later.
But following her shock axing from the US X Factor in 2011, her career took a nose-dive. Close friend Simon Cowell had persuaded her to launch the American version of the show with him, then unceremoniously dumped her from the panel when the audience didn’t take to her. The humiliated star fell out with Simon and left the UK show, before returning in 2014 after they patched things up. She also married her second husband, Jean-Bernard Fernandez- Versini, that year, but they were divorced two years later. She divorced footballer Ashley Cole in 2010.
Her most recent single in 2019, Let You, was a commercial flop and she never released her much-awaited fifth album, closing the door on her singing career.
Despite attempting another TV comeback as a judge on BBC’s The Greatest Dancer, the talent show was axed after just two seasons due to low viewing figures. That same year, Cheryl was dropped from her lucrative L’Oréal deal after a nine-year stint with the French beauty brand.
Following another two-year hibernation, Cheryl attempted to enter the podcast platform last year with a 12-part series, You Me And R&B, which attracted criticism for not being hosted by a black artist.
Cheryl cancelled the podcast following the tragic death of Sarah Harding, which she has understandably struggled with emotionally.
Despite the backlash surrounding her latest venture, insiders say Liam – who she’s remained extremely close to since the 2018 split – has been championing his ex and giving her much-needed support behind the scenes.
The source says, "Liam knows how much Cheryl wants this and he truly believes she's got the talent to prove all the critics wrong, which he keeps reminding her of every timer she falters and rears she's made the wrong move.
"He's seen first-hand how desperately Cheryl wants to show the world she's not some 'has-been' star who's faded into obscurity, and Liam's been doing whatever he can to be there form her – whether it's taking on more childcare duties with Bear during her long rehearsals, or being an emotional crutch."
While Liam has had a checkered love life since their split – currently dating influencer Kate Cassidy, 23, since his split from American fiancée Maya Henry – Cheryl has remained single.
Cheryl has a lot of hard work to do and is readier than ever to get back into performing'
And pals say while she's not pressuring herself to find The One – especially amid her big career shift – she's hoping her new role will lead here to finding her happily ever after.
The source adds, “Cheryl’s been hibernating at her Buckinghamshire home, really since her split from Liam, and while she has an amazing support network of friends and family, she’s not really had a chance to get out there and meet anyone, which she admits has partly been her own fault. “Her new role will not only mean being on stage every night, but she’ll be meeting new faces, new cast mates, production crew and be involved in all the buzz and excitement of being back out in London again and all the social plans that come with being part of a new show.
“Cheryl has a lot of hard work to do and is readier than ever to get back into performing, but she’s also hoping that this opportunity not only gives her a chance to make her big comeback a success on a professional level, but opens up some doors for her to meet someone she can spend her life with too and finally find the happy ever after she’s been searching for.”