Cheryl’s eager attempt at a reunion with Liam Payne

As Cheryl plots a big chart comeback, she’s keen for ex Liam Payne to help with an attention-grabbing duet – but pals say he’s reluctant

cheryl liam payne

by Daisy McLure |
Updated on

She was once Britain’s biggest female artist, but Cheryl’s glittering career has been far quieter of late.

In April, she lost her judging role on The Greatest Dancer when the show was cancelled by the BBC, and as Closer previously reported, her plans to brainstorm her next career move with Simon Cowell have been put on ice as he recovers from his back injury following a cycling accident.

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Cheryl late last year ©Getty Images

Now, insiders tell Closer that Cheryl, 37, is looking into ways to revive her solo music career. She once broke the record for becoming the first British female artist to have five No 1 singles, including her fastest-selling single Call My Name in 2012. But despite her enormous successes, Cheryl’s last three singles struggled to make a dent in the charts, including 2015’s Only Human (#70), 2018’s Love Made Me Do It (#19), and last year’s Let You (#57).

And in order to reclaim her pop crown, Cheryl is said to be eager to release a much-discussed duet with her ex, One Direction star Liam Payne –  with whom she shares her son Bear, three – to help her make a huge comeback.

Check out: a look back at Cheryl's ex boyfriends and husbands

Gallery

Cheryl relationship timeline - slider with cover pic

Cheryl timeline1 of 12
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Swipe through to see Cheryl's relationship history...

Ashley Cole2 of 12
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2004-2010: Ashley Cole

Not long into her rise to fame, Cheryl started dating England footballer Ashley Cole, even attending the World Cup with the likes of Victoria Beckham and Coleen Rooney. Clearly smitten, the loved-up pair got married in 2016, penning a six-figure magazine deal at the time.

Ashley Cole3 of 12
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2004-2010: Ashley Cole

However, things started to turn sour for the 'golden couple' when Ashley was accused of 'cheating' on Cheryl just months after their wedding. Despite forgiving the footballer, Ashley continued with his ways, with allegations that he'd been unfaithful rocking their romance yet again. Everything got too much for Chez in 2010, when she filed for divorce from Ashley.

Derek Hough4 of 12
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2010-2011: Derek Hough

Cheryl first met professional dancer Derek Hough whilst the pair filmed the music video for her hit track 'Parachute', and it seems they immediately hit it off. The former X Factor judge contracted Malaria in 2010, and she later told Piers Morgan, "I owe my life to Derek... if it wasn't for him I'd be dead."

Derek Hough5 of 12
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2010-2011: Derek Hough

Despite this, it seems the pair were destined to just be friends, with Derek later revealing to the media, "We dated for a while. Absolutely we are still friends, we are still very close."

Tre Holloway6 of 12
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2012-2013: Tre Holloway

It seems Cheryl had quite a thing for professional dancers, as her next boyfriend was the super handsome Tre Holloway. Despite first meeting each other on The X Factor in 2010, the pair didn't grow close until 2012, with Cheryl enlisting Tre's dancing skills for her 'Ghetto Baby' music video.

Tre Holloway7 of 12
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2012-2013: Tre Holloway

Things seemed to be getting serious between the two, especially when Tre starred in Cheryl's ITV2 documentary. However, the long-distance relationship didn't work out, with the couple calling it quits in 2013. Speaking at the time, Tre said, "She's an amazing person, an amazing woman, and we are good friends."

Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini8 of 12
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2014-2016: Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini

It looked like Cheryl had found 'the one' when she met French businessman Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini in 2014. Only three months into their romance, Cheryl shocked her fans by announcing she'd married JB, in a secret beach location with her close family and friends.

JB9 of 12
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2014-2016: Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini

After her second marriage, rumours of tension between Cheryl and JB started to arise, with the couple being pictured looking glum on more than one occasion. 18 months after their whirlwind wedding, Cheryl and JB were granted a quickie divorce in October 2018.

2016-2018: Liam Payne10 of 12
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2016-2018: Liam Payne

Shortly after Cheryl divorced JB, she singer shocked the showbiz world in 2016, when she confirmed she was dating One Direction singer Liam Payne. Despite the pair having a 10-year age gap, and originally meeting when Liam was just 14-years-old on The X Factor, Cheryl and Liam instantly hit it off, posting a number of adorable snaps together.

2016-2018: Liam Payne11 of 12

2016-2018: Liam Payne

After what was the worst kept pregnancy secret of the decade, Cheryl and Liam welcomed a baby boy into the world in March 2017, settling on the name Bear Grey Payne.

2016-2018: Liam Payne12 of 12
CREDIT: u00a9 Getty Images

2016-2018: Liam Payne

Split rumours started to hit the pair in early 2018, but Cheryl and Liam were quick to shut them down, putting on a very loved-up display at the 2018 BRIT Awards. However, just five months later, the couple released a joint statement admitting they've decided to separate. Despite this, the pair remain good friends and co-parent baby Bear.

cheryl liam payne
Cheryl and Liam at the BRITs in 2018 ©Getty Images

A source says, “Cheryl and Liam worked on a few ideas together, but the songs never saw the light of day. She has a demo of them singing together and has suggested to Liam that perhaps it would be fun to let fans hear it.

“Cheryl’s really eager for them to either release something officially or leak the duet, as she thinks it would have a big impact and give her a leg up in her quest to top the charts again. She thinks a ‘reunion track’ with Liam could really grab fans’ interest and get a lot of airplay.”

Closer magazine
©Closer magazine

It was reported in 2018 that Cheryl and Liam had been planning to duet on his romantic song Polaroid, which featured as a bonus track on his debut album LP1. Record producer Jonas Blue let it slip in an interview at the time that it was originally intended as “a collaboration with them both”, meaning Liam and Cheryl, but it ended up with Canadian singer Lennon Stella on the track.

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However, with Liam now rumoured to be engaged to 20-year-old model girlfriend Maya Henry, pals claim the former 1D star may not be as keen as Cheryl for them to work together again.

The source adds, “Liam’s friends think it could be quite confusing to put out a romantic song between the two of them, considering he’s now settled with Maya. He’s always been a huge supporter of Cheryl’s career, but they wouldn’t be surprised if he felt that this wasn’t the right time for him to consider it – the moment for a duet has probably passed now.”

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