She was supported by her ex, Liam Payne, last week as she made a rare red-carpet appearance at a charity fundraiser in memory of her late Girls Aloud bandmate, Sarah Harding. And now insiders say that Cheryl Tweedy has grown closer than ever to Liam, 29, in recent months – so much so that they’re seriously considering having another baby together.
The former X Factor judge, 39, joined her former bandmates, Nadine Coyle, 37, Nicola Roberts, 37, and Kimberley Walsh, 40, to host The Primrose Ball at a swanky London hotel in honour of Sarah, who tragically lost her battle with breast cancer last year at just 39.
Fans were taken aback by Liam’s appearance and immediately rumours that the pair had reconciled began to swirl as the former 1D star stood alongside the singer, who he shares five-year-old son, Bear, with.
A source says, “It’s no secret Cheryl is longing for another baby. With her 40th birthday looming next year, the clock is very much ticking and she’s starting to panic about her time running out.
“Since Liam’s split from Maya [Henry] earlier this year, Cheryl’s come to lean on him more than ever – he’s becoming the closest person in her life and the one she sees most out of all her close friends, and even family.
“While she was looking into fertility options to conceive a much-longed-for sibling for Bear, with her and Liam becoming so close again, it’s prompted her to broach the subject of him fathering another child with her instead of her going down the complicated fertility route of sperm donors and IVF.
“They already have a beautiful son together and Cheryl would love him to have a full-blood sibling, so it’s something they’ve been discussing and Cheryl is very much hoping it happens in the not-too-distant future.”
Cheryl – who was married to former footballer Ashley Cole for four years – has always been open about her desire to have a big family, saying previously, “I always say I’d like a big family, because I’m from one. I’d like four or five children.”
Ashley has since moved on and had two kids with model Sharon Canu. Meanwhile, after a brief marriage to Jean Bernard Fernandez Versini, Cheryl moved on with Liam, but the pair split the year after they had Bear.
After the Strip That Down singer first ended his engagement to 22-year-old Texan model Maya last June before their final split earlier this year, Liam revealed how he’d become “closer than ever” to Cheryl – with insiders revealing how the former couple had been enjoying cosy sleepovers and secret date nights at Cheryl’s Buckinghamshire mansion.
And while the Geordie-born star said she was open to using a sperm donor to expand her family – adding, “If time was on my side, I’d wait and consider more options” – pals revealed how she was longing to have another child with Liam.
She was said to be “distraught” when he reunited with Maya amid fears her baby dreams had been dashed, but sources say now the door has very much re-opened, and Cheryl is keen to get pregnant as soon as possible.
The source says, “Cheryl and Liam have had some honest and candid conversations about it – weighing up the pros and cons. They both know how well they co-parent and Cheryl insists there’s no one else she’d want to have a baby with.
“Even if she met someone now, she would wait at least a year to have a child with them, and at that point it might be too late, which Liam understands. He’s promised not to leave it too long to make a decision.”
Following Bear’s birth in March 2017, Liam opened up about his battle with mental health – admitting, “I’m lucky to still be here” as he revealed his struggles with depression, booze addiction and becoming a dad at just 23 years old.
He said, “I started in a bad place with it. It spooked me out early on, and I was worried I wouldn’t be enough to look after both of them.”
And friends say fears about going through this emotional turmoil again is the one thing holding Liam back from fathering another child.
The source says, “Liam’s still torn as he knows how much Cheryl wants this and he’s also longing to have more children, but he’s crippled with anxiety that history is going to repeat itself.
“He’s in a much better place and Cheryl’s been an amazing support to him, but he’s understandably being cautious.”
Following Sarah’s tragic death, Cheryl opened up about her grief – telling her 3.5 million Instagram followers she was trying to “navigate my way through these painfully strange and horribly unfamiliar waves of disbelief and finality.”
The star, once dubbed the nation’s sweetheart in her X Factor heyday, has been living a far more reclusive life away from the spotlight – rarely posting on social media and keeping a low profile in what insiders call her “safe bubble with Bear and Liam”.
And pals say Liam has become the one constant in her life who she’s been leaning on.
The source adds, “In the last few years, she’s lost a lot of her spark and confidence, and Liam has been supporting her as she tries to work through her emotions and figure out the next steps to get back to her old self again and find happiness both personally and professionally.
“She’ll often phone Liam to ask what he’s up to and invite him round to have tea with her and Bear after school or sometimes even join her for a workout session before pick up. At night, he’ll often stick around after Bear’s gone to bed and they’ll stay up late watching films and talking.
“Cheryl admits that Liam has become her ‘comfort blanket’ and is the one she turns to whenever she’s feeling a little low or wants some company.
“With so many of her close friends, including Kimberley, busy with their families, and with her mum living up North, she appreciates having Liam around and feeling like a family – something she always craved.
“Having another baby with him would be a dream come true and while things haven’t worked out romantically between them, she considers him family and is adamant he’s the right man to father baby number two.”