As Cheryl proves she’s still on good terms with ex Liam Payne, friends fear she’ll never be able to move on with another man
They said they still had “so much love for each other” when they split in July last year. And Cheryl proved that hasn’t changed a year on, taking to Instagram last week to thank ex Liam Payne for the designer gifts he sent her from his new collection with Hugo Boss.
And insiders say that, despite their rocky two-year romance – with their split reportedly fuelled by 25-year-old Liam’s hectic solo career and his often loose-lipped antics – Cheryl’s told friends that no man will ever compare to the former 1D singer, with whom she shares two-year-old son Bear.
A source says, “Liam’s the best ex she could have asked for, and she says their relationship is better than ever – they’re not rowing over the little things that would have annoyed them when they were together, and they’ve built respect for each other as they’ve navigated co-parenting. She said it’s like having a boyfriend but without the sex, as he still checks in on her constantly, buys her gifts when he’s been away, helps her when she needs it and supports her emotionally, too.
“Deep down, she feels like even if she does find love again, no-one will compare to Liam, because he’s shown her that you can stay close after a split. And also, he is the father of her first child – which will tie them together emotionally for the rest of their lives.”
CHECK OUT Cheryl's husbands and boyfriends - where are they now?
Cheryl relationship timeline - stacked
1 of 112004-2010: 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.
2 of 112004-2010: 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.
3 of 112010-2011: 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."
4 of 112010-2011: 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."
5 of 112012-2013: 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.
6 of 112012-2013: 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."
7 of 112014-2016: 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.
8 of 112014-2016: 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.
9 of 112016-2018: 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.
10 of 112016-2018: 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.
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11 of 112016-2018: 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.
The twice-divorced star has been notoriously unlucky in love. Her first marriage to Ashley Cole ended in heartbreak in 2010, when he was accused of cheating on her on multiple occasions, and she blamed the 2016 breakdown of her second marriage, to Jean Bernard Fernandez Versini, on his “unreasonable behaviour”, adding that it caused her stress and she lost weight amid a stream of reports about the Frenchman’s alleged controlling, jealous behaviour.
But unlike her previous bitter break-ups, Cheryl’s maintained a strong bond with Liam – crediting him as the only man to have ever been faithful to her, and describing him as a “great dad” as she gushed about how well they’ve taken to co-parenting since their split.
She said, “When you have a baby, you are not consumed with just thinking about yourself. It’s your responsibility to keep things settled and happy, so you make the best of everything. And we have.”
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And Liam’s been equally complimentary about the former Girls Aloud star – calling her a “super mum”, with insiders telling Closer he’s been her constant source of support amid a backlash over her music comeback last year.
But pals say they fear the lines between Cheryl and Liam have become too blurred, and could stop her from moving on.
The source says, “Friends have warned Cheryl that while she continues to be so close to Liam, it’s going to be hard for her to meet a new man and let him into her life – not to mention how threatened he’d feel by what she had before.
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But Cheryl – who last week announced she was a guest judge on the first series of UK Drag Race – says she won’t change her relationship with Liam for anyone – even if it means not meeting anyone else.
While Cheryl’s sworn-off dating, insisting Bear is “the only man” for her, Liam’s been linked to a string of women since their split, most recently supermodels Naomi Campbell and Duckie Thot.
And after confessing she wants another baby because having just one is “unimaginable”, pals say they wouldn’t rule-out the pair having a second child together as previously reported by Closer.
The source adds, “Cheryl and Liam always wanted a big family, and have joked about how much easier it would be to have another child together instead of with someone else, given how well they co-parent.
“It’s clear that, despite everything that’s happened between them, there’s still a spark and the last year has made Cheryl realise just how special Liam is to her."
Read more celebrity news in this week's Closer magazine, out now.