Cheryl’s shock: torn over Liam Payne’s confession

As Liam Payne surprises fans with his confession about 1D’s rumoured new tour, Cheryl fears she’ll be targeted by cruel trolls

It’s no secret that One Direction have some of the pop world’s most fiercely dedicated fans. And now they have something new to be riled up about, as Liam Payne added fuel to rumours they will be reuniting for their 10-year anniversary in July.

During an appearance on James Corden’s The Late Late Show in America last week, Liam, 26, revealed he’d had a FaceTime call with former bandmate Niall Horan and had also spoken to Louis Tomlinson, adding, “I’m not allowed to say too much obviously, because I would be giving it away. But we’ve been speaking a lot more at the moment… We’re all feeling that 10 year[s] is a very special moment.”

Insiders reveal that, while his ex Cheryl, 36 – with whom he shares son Bear, three – is pleased Liam and his former bandmates could be on the verge of reuniting, she’s concerned about how some of the fans, known as Directioners, will react.

Cheryl bore the brunt of cruel online trolls when she first began dating Liam, 26, in 2016 – the same year the band officially went on hiatus.

One jealous fan branded Cheryl “repulsive” at the time, while another said, “Step the **** away from my Liam or we are going to have problems.”

More recently, a fan tweeted, “He was doing alright to be fair since he left Cheryl and One Direction.”

Another added,“ Cheryl needs more maintenance...”

A source says, “Liam has been the one giving all the interviews about the reunion, but it’s left Cheryl fearing it might mean getting more abuse from fans.

“If anything goes wrong, she feels she’ll be the one blamed, especially as it’s Liam who is trying to organise it all. She has told him to be careful, and to not upset fans or get their hopes up too much.

“She doesn’t want to seem like she’s overreacting, but hearing about it has brought back all the horrid memories of vicious abuse she’s received online.”

But Cheryl knows how much this reunion means to Liam, who last week confessed in a podcast that he felt humiliated after the first time he failed to get through The X Factor auditions in 2008, and a group of fans called him a “reject”.

Liam said, “It was a really hollow moment. That was like, ‘Oh right, now I know what it’s like to lose fame’.”

Since the birth of Bear in 2017, Liam and Cheryl have remained firm friends, with both of them heaping praise on the other. Much to fans’ delight, last week Cheryl shared a video of Bear talking off camera with a Geordie accent asking to go to the park.

Closer also recently reported she is thrilled about the idea of him having children with girlfriend Maya Henry, 19, in the future.

The source says, “Cheryl knows how much it means to Liam to be back at the top of the charts again, especially after his first solo album flopped. She knows he really needs this boost and momentum behind him.

“But she’s also worried about another backlash because of their continued friendship, and what it’ll mean for her and Bear. The trolls have already started attacking Liam, calling him out for needing the money, and his appearance.

"They’ve even insulted her and Bear and it’s terrified her – she fears if this is what people are saying now, it’s only going to get worse. She wants him to be more visible and speak up even more about his son and her, to ensure he’s warding off the fans.

“Cheryl wants to be left alone by them, but feels the key is having Liam to be seen as more on her side than ever. She needs to feel as though he’s doing everything he can to protect her and Bear.

“She’s really torn over him reforming with the other band members, but she knows it’s not her decision to make and she can’t step in the way of the band’s legacy. She wants him to be happy, but she’s scared of the ramifications and what it could mean for her and her child.”

Watch: 'The girlfriend position is filled!': Liam Payne reads your tweets as he 'Answers the Internet'

Insiders add that Liam has already promised Cheryl that he won’t allow abuse to be hurled at his family whatever happens, and will shield her and Bear from the trolls.

The source says, “Liam knows, first-hand, how vicious the trolls can be. He’s really listening to Cheryl’s concerns and acknowledges they’re valid.

“Liam has said that he’ll pay to beef up their security if 1D officially get back together. He knows how scary it can be for those on the receiving end of the abuse. He’s tried to quell Cheryl’s fears by saying he’s well prepared and will protect them at any cost, which was comforting to her.”

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Check out: Cheryl relationship timeline

Cheryl certainly hasn’t been alone in this situation, with Louis Tomlinson’s ex Briana Jungwirth also experiencing vile abuse from 1D fans when she announced she was pregnant with Louis’ child.

Taking to Twitter to address her haters in 2016, Briana revealed the impact the comments had on her and her four-year-old son Freddie Reign, saying, “Surely you must have better things to do than pry into the personal life of a single mum and a newborn child.”

Insiders reveal Briana, 28, has reached out to Cheryl with similar concerns about the band getting back together, as they had previously bonded about the pressures of being romantically linked to a member of the biggest boyband in modern history.

The source adds, “Cheryl and Briana had been in touch with one another about the hell they’ve both been through, and they now share a concern that history could repeat itself. Obviously, Cheryl wants the best for Liam and she’s excited for him, but it’s happening at a strange and uncertain time.

“She’s begged Liam to really think his plan through – and whether or not it’s worth getting these fans excited if they can’t really pull it off.

“She just doesn’t want to be the one to receive any kind of blame – she’s not sure she could deal with the fall out this time around. She’s too sensitive right now with everything going on in the world.”

Read even more celeb news in this week's Closer magazine - out now.

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