She’s been single for six years since her split from Liam Payne, but Cheryl Tweedy is rumoured to have finally found love again.
The singing superstar, who announced a reunion with her bandmates last year, is said to have grown close to one of the guys working behind the scenes of the Girls Aloud tour.
“Cheryl’s been enjoying a ‘flirtathon’ with one of the tour crew, which has ignited a spark inside her and has made her feel excited about the future again,” our source reveals.
“They first met years ago when they were both in relationships and as soon as they saw each other again during rehearsals, it was like no time had passed. There was an instant chemistry between them, which was clear to everyone working on the tour.”
They continue, “While Cheryl initially tried to play it down, the girls knew she was really into him – Nicola said she hadn’t seen her light up like that in a long time, even becoming shy at points and admitting she felt nervous whenever she was around him, like a smitten school girl.”
This is the first time that Cheryl, 40, has been linked to someone since her split from One Direction’s Liamback in 2018. Their break-up left the former X Factor judge a single mum to their son Bear and, as a result, she took a step back from the spotlight to care for him.
While their break-up was messy at first – especially when Liam named the birth of Bear as the cause – the pair are now able to co-parent amicably, with Cheryl saying in 2019, “I’m actually really happy that we can be the way we are. We love and care about each other a lot and we share a child. It’s really important that we’re able to have a very healthy good relationship.”
Cheryl’s first major relationship in the spotlight was with footballer Ashley Cole, with whom she tied the knot in July 2006. Following their divorce – in which Cheryl cited Ashley’s “unreasonable behaviour” – the Fight For This Love hitmaker began dating choreographer Derek Hough.
This was followed by a relationship with dancer Tre Holloway from 2012-2014, before she was swept up into whirlwind romance with restaurateur Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini, who she married in July 2014. Despite changing her surname to match his – and releasing the track I Don’t Care, which is reportedly about her ignoring the haters’ comments regarding their relationship – Cheryl divorced Jean-Bernard after just 18 months of marriage, again citing “unreasonable behaviour”.
As Closer has previously reported, six years after her last relationship, Cheryl – who once said that she’d date anyone, including a Sainsbury’s shelf stacker – is now keen to find The One and believes that touring could prove the perfect way to meet someone.
And the insider says, “Cheryl’s done a lot of work on herself over the last few years and has been on a journey of self-discovery – learning about herself, where past relationships have gone wrong and what she wants in her future relationship – which has given her a lot of clarity.
“She’s realised that it’s not dating in the industry that has been the reason for her failed romances. If anything, having that common denominator is something that she most likely needs.
“Her new love interest is also a father, and Cheryl loves what a doting dad he is. She loves the idea of having a blended family, as well as potentially having another baby herself.”
Despite always being open about wanting her son Bear, seven, to have siblings in the past – she once quipped that she wanted “100 kids” – more recently, Cheryl seems to have changed her tune.
In an interview last year, the star admitted, “I was so hell- bent on having another baby before because Bear was at that perfect age. I think if you have that couple of years age gap, you can still do things with them together where they’re both engaged and both interested.
“Now that the pandemic happened in the meantime, and there’s such an age gap, and I’m a bit older. I’m not so sure, honestly.”
But the source suggests that her potential new romance could change that mindset.
“While it’s still early days, striking up such a strong connection with a man who adores fatherhood has given Cheryl fresh hope that having another baby could still be on the cards for her,” they explain.
“But she’s made peace with the fact it may not happen and right now is focusing on the prospect of a new relationship and finally getting the happily ever after she’s been longing for.
“If it did happen, it would be the icing on the cake but, if not, she’s realised that everything happens for a reason and whatever the outcome, she’s so grateful to have Bear – and hopefully a new man to make memories with in their future.”