Her life was marred by tragedy last year – and for Cheryl, 2025 is showing no signs of letting up after yet more heartbreak following the collapse of a new relationship.
Just months after the tragic loss of her ex-boyfriend Liam Payne – father of her seven-year-old son Bear – in October, it was revealed that a convicted killer had been stalking her and even turned up at the Buckinghamshire home that she shares with her young son.
Daniel Bannister, 49 – who was found guilty of manslaughter in 2012 – was jailed in September last year after being convicted of stalking Cheryl. Upon his release from prison, he turned up outside her home, breaching the restraining order against him. According to reports, he displayed ‘fixating, obsessive, unwanted and repetitive behaviour’ towards Cheryl and has been remanded in custody until he is sentenced on 30 January.
And now a source tells Closer that the 41-year-old has been left heartbroken after splitting from her mystery boyfriend following months of dating. It’s believed that Cheryl had first met him back in her Girls Aloud’s heyday, but they grew close during rehearsals for the band’s reunion tour last year.
However, as she grieved the devastating death of Liam – who was just 31 when he tragically fell from a hotel balcony in Argentina – Cheryl decided she couldn’t continue with their romance. The source says, ‘Since the grief over Liam's death, Cheryl's also been dealing with added heartache after ending a relationship with a man she's been dating since last summer.
‘After Liam passed, she was understandably in such a state of deep grief and shock, she eventually decided to call time on the romance so she could solely focus on Bear and help him navigate through the loss of his dad. She also knew she wasn't in the right headspace for a new romance and while it broke her heart to let him go, she felt she had no choice.’
Closer revealed last May how Cheryl and the unnamed man were both in relationships when they first met in the 2000s and, while sparks flew between the pair at the time, nothing ever happened until they found themselves both single and working together again last year. Sources at the time claimed it was Cheryl’s bandmate and close pal Nicola Roberts – who got engaged to former footballer Mitch Hahn in August – who set them up.
Our source continues, ‘While it was a relatively short romance, he was the first man she developed deep feelings for since her split from Liam and she fell head over heels for him pretty quickly after being introduced by Nicola. He was divorced with two children - one of whom was Bear's age - and while she hadn't officially introduced him to Bear as her boyfriend, she was on the verge of making things official and meeting his kids too.’
Cheryl has been unlucky in love since shooting to fame when she won Popstars: The Rivals with the band in 2002. Her most famous relationship was her marriage to footballer Ashley Cole, which ended in 2010 after he admitted to cheating. She then briefly dated dancers Derek Hough and Tre Holloway before marrying French restauranteur Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini after a three-month relationship in 2014. The marriage lasted just 18 months, and Cheryl went on to date One Direction star Liam in 2016. The pair welcomed their son, Bear, a year later before they split in 2018.
Discussing her love life, Cheryl said in 2019, ‘It's so not something I'm even thinking about. I wouldn't rule it out maybe at some point in the distant future. But it's not a priority. I've found the love of my life [Bear] and he's absolutely enough for me.’
Now, our insider says that Cheryl’s family and friends are ‘gutted’ that her latest relationship hasn’t worked out, and are quietly hopeful they will find their way back together when the Fight For This Love singer feels ready.
‘Those closest to her know how much she liked him and how happy she was to have finally met someone who she saw a future with after six lonely years as a single mum,’ the source explains. ‘While they're hoping and praying that they will reconcile once she's had time to process her feelings and help Bear through this fog, they know that once Cheryl has made a decision, she's very unlikely to go back and knows that he will likely go on to meet someone else.’
They add. ‘Right now, Cheryl's life has been turned upside down and she insists she needs to focus on her and Bear's future – hinting that may even include a move abroad. While she still desperately wants to fall in love again and settle down, Cheryl is adamant that everything happens for a reason, and it will happen when the time is right.’
