Cheryl: ‘I can’t wait to give Bear a sibling’

She’s made no secret of her plans to have a second baby in the not-too-distant future – even hinting earlier this year how she was looking into using a sperm donor to add to her family as a single mum.

Now Cheryl, 37 – who shares her three-year-old son, Bear, with ex Liam Payne, 27 – is said to be considering all her options in order to help her have a much-wanted sibling for Bear by this time next year.

According to sources, her pal, Simon Cowell, 61 – who is recovering from a broken back – has even suggested she speaks with her former-X Factor co-judge, Natalie Imbruglia, 45 – who gave birth to baby son Max last October after having IVF with the help of a sperm donor. Cheryl and Natalie both worked on The X Factor in 2010.

The source reveals that although they got on well, they lost touch over time, so Simon offered to help set up a chat.

The source says, “Cheryl’s made no secret of the fact she’s desperate for another baby – she’s talked about how she can’t wait to give Bear a sibling to play and grow up with – and has been considering lots of different routes to make it happen. She feels it’s the right time. After all the uncertainty of the past year, she wants happiness in 2021. She’s been thinking about it a lot over the past few years and has spoken to Simon as well.”

The source adds, “As his health improves, they’ve chatted more regularly, and recently her plans for another baby came up. That’s when Simon suggested she also speak to Natalie about going through IVF as a single woman and about the experience as someone famous. He thought Natalie could ease any of Cheryl’s concerns about privacy and protecting herself as a celebrity going through it.”

Check out: all the photos of Bear Grey Payne

Upon announcing her pregnancy last July on Instagram, Torn singer Natalie – who divorced husband Daniel Johns in 2008 following a five-year marriage and has been linked to a string of A-listers over the years, including Robbie Williams, Harry Styles, Lenny Kravitz and David Schwimmer – said, “For those of you who know me, this has been something I have wanted for a very long time. I’m blessed that this is possible with the help of IVF and a sperm donor – I won’t be saying anything more on that publicly.”

Meanwhile, opening up earlier this year about the idea of seeking solo fertility treatment after confessing she was looking into getting a sperm donor, Cheryl – who was raised alongside her four siblings by single mum Joan Callaghan – said, “You don’t necessarily need to be in a relationship. I’ve got a friend who has had two children using donors. Not everything has to be conventional...”

She also said, “If time was on my side and I was in my twenties, yeah, I would wait and consider more options, or wait for somebody I felt was right.”

Since splitting from Liam in July 2018 following a two-and-a-half-year romance Cheryl – who revealed she didn’t have a nanny and looked after Bear 24/7 before returning to work – has embraced her role as a single parent.

Giving a rare glimpse into her home life last year after moving out of Liam’s Surrey mansion to a new home in Buckinghamshire, she said, “I was up at 1.30am this morning cleaning dirty nappies.”

And despite her amicable co-parenting relationship with the former 1D star, she was thrown into the deep-end during the lockdown when Liam – who’s reportedly engaged to 20-year-old American model Maya Henry – was forced to take time apart from her and Bear amid the isolation rules.

But pals say, after thriving during the pandemic, Cheryl – who said she’d have “100 children if I could” and is “always broody” – is ready to start the process to make her baby dream come true in 2021.

Our source says, “Natalie would undoubtedly be incredibly helpful to Cheryl in terms of both practical advice and encouragement. Cheryl also has a massive amount of support from family and friends as well as Liam, who she knows would support her emotionally.”

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Last week, Closer reported that Cheryl’s former bandmate, Nadine Coyle, 35 – with whom she mended her long-time feud earlier this year – offered to set her up with a friend of her on/off fiancé, Jason Bell, 42.

Pals also revealed how Nadine – who shares six-year-old daughter Anaiya, with Strictly star Jason, who she split from last September despite their now-rumored reconciliation – was also offering her advice on dating as a single mum.

And friends say while Cheryl is putting her plans for a second child into gear, she is still open to meeting someone, providing they’re accepting of her situation.

The source says, “While Cheryl refuses to wait around for the right man to come along before having another child, she’s also not putting her love life on hold either. She’s open to all possibilities.”

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