As Liam Payne's night out with Rita Ora sparks gossip about the pair once more, Cheryl refuses to let the online speculation embarrass her
Tongues were wagging over the nature of their relationship yet again last week as Rita Ora and Liam Payne enjoyed dinner together at private members club Annabel’s on a night out in London.
Fans speculated online about Rita, 28, and Liam, 25, with one posting, “Oh Liam, you dirty dog,” while another wrote, “I wonder if something is going on between them, they did seem to have chemistry when they duetted together.”
Others, meanwhile, wrote that they were "such a fine couple" and that they were "looking good together."
And pals say the renewed speculation has poured fresh humiliation on Liam's ex Cheryl - with whom he shares son Bear, two - especially as there had been rumours over his chemistry with Rita during multiple performances together while he was still in a relationship with the former Girls Aloud star.
A source says, “Cheryl's been a little uneasy over Liam and Rita’s friendship in the past, it's never nice to hear false claims about your boyfriend and other women."
Check out The X Factor: The best and most shocking contestant transformations
X Factor: The most shocking contestant transformations - STACKED
Leon Jackson
This spiky-haired teen won X Factor waaaaay back in 2007, scoring a Christmas number one with a cover of Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey's When You Believe. And, while there's no denying that he was cute, the X Factor champion was definitely a bit too baby-faced for us to lust over properly. But, nowadays, he's looking VERY sexy indeed, after switching up everything from his hairstyle to his workout regime at the gym. He definitely looks good on it, doesn't he? Read more about Leon jackson's comeback career here.
Frankie Cocozza
When Frankie Cocozza joined The X Factor back in 2011, he was a scruffy 18-year-old with birds nest hair and a LOT of eye makeup. Nowadays he looks far more mature and (dare we say it?) mega hot, sporting a wee bit of stubble and curl mousse in favour of his velvet jackets of old. We love his new look - how about you? Read more about his transformation here.
Ray Quinn
The X Factor star first burst into our lives as a sweet and fresh-faced teenager from Liverpool, starring as tormented child Anthony Murray in the Channel 4 soap opera, Brookside. When he was 18-years-old, he auditioned for The X Factor and survived right up until the show's final, where he lost out to Leona Lewis. Since then, we've seen him appear in Dancing On Ice and in several West End musicals - but, when he was dismissed from his record label in November 2007, he fell off the radar a little bit. Now he's back - and he's DEFINITELY become a fan of lifting weights, hasn't he? Read more about his transformation here.
Eoghan Quigg
Eoghan was just 16-year-old when he shot to fame in the ITV competition in 2008, and made it all the way to the final where he finished in third place. He landed a record deal after the show, but was sadly dropped when his debut single limped in at number 96 on the Official UK Singles Chart. Since then, Eoghan has turned his back on music – and instead has made a bit of a name for himself in Irish football. And he looks completely different, doesn't he? Read more about his transformation here.
Chris Maloney
X Factor's Christopher Maloney has shocked fans after revealing he spent £60,000 on cosmetic surgery following a nervous breakdown. After coming third in the talent show back in 2012, the 37-year-old fell into a deep depression which made even getting out of bed a struggle. Since leaving the show, Christopher has undergone three hair transplants, an eye lift and two nose jobs. He has also had teeth veneers. He told The Mirror: "I feel so much happier for it." Read more about his transformation here.
Chloe Mafia
Remember when Chloe Mafia auditioned for The X Factor in 2010? Well, it seems like rejection from the show has done her no harm, as the Wakefield lass looks unrecognisable these days. In fact, Chloe - now known as Chloe Khan - is now a MILLIONAIRE and living a life of luxury overseas. She said: "My lifestyle is pretty incredible now – it's mansions and private jets and everything else that I could only imagine when I was younger." The money allowed her to completely reinvent herself with cosmetic surgery and designer clothes - and she's confessed to a boob job or two, as well as rhinoplasty. Read more about her transformation here.
Jahmene Douglas
The shy and retiring singer shot to fame, thanks to his modest nature and sweet-as-an-angel voice, back on The X Factor in 2012. He finished in second place, and has since gone on to find success as a singer; in fact, his second album (which features collaborations with the likes of Diane Warren) is currently in the works. But Nicole Scherzinger's protégé hasn't just been working on his music; he's also been working on his look, too. Think makeup and VERY well manicured eyebrows - we're jealous. To critics of his new look, he said simply: "Any judgement of beauty will always be an opinion." Read more about his transformation here.
Leigh-Anne Pinnock
One of the biggest X Factor success stories, Leigh-Anne Pinnock is now 1/4 of Little Mix - but she's just as prone to a makeover as her fellow former X Factor contestants. The songstress recently went and dyed her dark locks a bright shade of blonde - and she looked incredible! Read more about her transformation here.
Sam Bailey
The mum-of-three burst into our lives as the prison guard with a very powerful voice - and we thought she looked beautiful. But there's no denying that the X Factor winner looks absolutely phenomenal nowadays, sporting a much more polished look.
Cher Lloyd
Cher surprised us all when she burst out into R'n'B song Turn My Swag On back in 2010 - but she's ditched her rapper style for a far more polished look nowadays. In fact, Cher looks a LOT like her X Factor mentor, Cheryl Cole, nowadays, doesn't she?
George Shelley
George first appeared as a baby-face solo artist when he auditioned with Britney Spears's Toxic back in 2012. Now in his 20s, he looks VERY different - with many labelling the Union J as the ULTIMATE man candy. Thoughts?
Jedward
John and Edward Grimes were the X Factor twins with BOUNDS of energy and gravity defying uairsylts. Nowadays, however, they are all grown up now and they look pretty different from their days on the hit ITV talent show. They're still making music, sure, but they're sporting a much more grown up 'do - and we kinda love it. Way to go, Jedward!
Katie Waissel
Not only has she ditched her tired looking bleach blonde looks, Katie Waissel has gone full on mummy mode, toning down her trademark indie rocker look in favour of relaxed leisurewear and a make-up free face.
Emma Chawner
Emma first auditioned for X Factor in 2007 to scathing responses from Simon, before getting back up on the X Factor stage with her sister, Sam, a few years later. Now she's dropped an incredible 12 stone and exclusively told Closer magazine, "I'd love Simon to see me now – he wouldn't recognize me!"
"The fact that they’re still very much in each other’s lives despite not working together anymore has been a bit awkward for her. It reminds her of the heartbrreaking time when she was with Liam and everyone was talking about him and Rita.
"Seeing pictures of them having a cosy dinner together has left her feeling hurt as she knows people will talk. It's never nice to have your ex linked to someone you know. He’s assured her that he’s just friends with Rita but it's just bringing up too many bad memories.
Cheryl first got to know Rita when they were judges on the TheX Factor in 2015, but the pairing was short-lived as they both quit the show once it ended.
It had previously been reported that there was animosity between them when Rita claimed she had been first offered Cheryl’s 2012 hit Call My Name first but turned it down, something producer Calvin Harris denied ever happened.
There then appeared to be tension when Cheryl and Liam seemed strained at the 2018 Brit Awards amid growing reports that they were heading for a split (they parted five months later), and she had to watch Liam perform a steamy routine with Rita for their song, For You from the Fifty Shades Freed soundtrack which saw Rita strip to her underwear.
Repeated reports of chemistry between the pair surfaced and as Closer revealed at the time, Cheryl felt hurt even though she knew nothing happened between Liam and Rita.
To make matters worse, Liam also missed Bear’s birthday in March this year, as he had to jet out to perform alongside Rita in Dubai, reportedly leaving Cheryl feeling frustrated. It was the second time he had missed Bear's birthday.
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There was more bad news for Cheryl last week as it was revealed that her profits have dropped for the fourth year in a row as she's struggled to continue her musical successes. Her last single, Love Made Me Do It, failed to make the top 10 in November.
Meanwhile, Rita has achieved global fame and success in America – a dream Cheryl had which ended after her infamous sacking from the U Sversion of The X Factor in 2014.
The source explains, “There’s always competition between pop divas, and Cheryl can’t help but look at Rita’s career and wish that she could have had the same opportunities and success in the States. That’s why she finds it hard hearing all these rumours about her and Liam and seeing them on nights out together, it’s a bit of a slap in the face. Anyone would find that tough, she’s only human.”
Read even more about Cheryl, Rita and Liam in this week's Closer - out now.