Liam Payne ‘found it hard to concentrate’ around Cheryl during his time on The X Factor at 16

cheryl and liam payne

by Sophie Bronstein |
Published on

Liam Payne was just 14 years old when he and Cheryl first met - but now old footage has shown that Liam may have had his eye on her from the get-go.

An interview which was aired during Liam's time on The X Factor shows Liam claiming that he had "trouble concentrating" around Cheryl after she became their mentor when Simon Cowell was ill.

In the interview, Harry Styles says "It was strange because obviously we're used to having Simon as a mentor", and Liam added "I think we had a bit of trouble concentrating actually!".

Bandmate Louis Tomlinson then said "Simon's never flirted with us like Cheryl did actually, so..".

Cheryl was with ex-husband Ashley Cole during Liam's time on The X Factor, and then went on to remarry with Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini who she split from earlier this year.

Liam was dating his childhood sweetheard Sophia Smith at the time, but then split from her in October 2015.

Liam and Cheryl then announced their romance in February, and things seem to have been going strong ever since.

Liam is said to have gifted Cheryl with a large donation to her charity, Cheryl's Trust which she was reportedly "over the moon" about.

Cheryl's Trust was founded by Cheryl to help change the lives of younger people living in North East England.

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