Cheryl’s shock move for baby number two

The singer is ready to call it quits on her life in the south as she prepares to return to Newcastle to focus on family

She appeared determined last week to prove that fame hasn’t changed her, claiming in an interview that she wants her son Bear, two, to grow up around children from council estates, so that he can appreciate his mother’s humble beginnings.

And Cheryl added that she is every inch the normal mum, revealing how she was “up at 1.30 this morning cleaning dirty nappies” before appearing on CBBC show The Playlist.

However, online trolls were quick to blast Cheryl, 36, writing, “Sorry, don’t believe she’s as hands-on as she pretends to be,” while another said,“Mum in changing nappy shocker. Seeks attention and sympathy from everyone.”

The mum-shaming is the latest in a string of blows for the former Girls Aloud star, whose recent single Let You debuted at number 57 on the UK Singles chart, falling out of the top 100 the following week.

And insiders tell Closer that Cheryl is exasperated over yet more negativity. A source says, “Cheryl has almost accepted that she will be criticised no matter what she says. These latest comments are hurtful for her considering she was only trying to relate to other mums.

“She doesn’t like talking about Bear or motherhood publicly, but when she’s so openly lambasted it makes her want to stop sharing personal thoughts. The last year has shown her it’s not worth the hassle, and she’s coming round to the idea of just focusing on her family.”

Cheryl – who moved out of ex Liam Payne’s Surrey mansion to a house in Buckinghamshire in April – recently revealed she’d like more children and is open to using a sperm donor.

As Closer reported last week, she would also consider surrogacy following advice from Kim Kardashian, who was put in touch with her by her sister Khloé, Cheryl’s close pal.

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Cheryl opened up in January about her desire to expand her family, saying that having one child was “unimaginable”. She previously said, “I’d love a massive family.”

As Closer recently revealed, Cheryl is keen for her children to be close in age, and was considering having another child with Liam if the timing was right. But insiders say she’s since decided to go it alone, which is why she now wants to be closer to her family.

She also hinted in the interview that London and the home counties can feel lonely compared to her native Newcastle. “At home, I come from a cul-de-sac where every neighbour knows who you are,” she reminisced about her youth, adding how she wishes her mum Joan could live with her.

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And pals say she is now ready to leave London for good, to return to her native Newcastle.

The source says, “Cheryl has always found London living a bit isolating, but she’s always been too busy with her career to let it affect her. Now she’s a single mother and she misses the warm nature of the people she grew up with. She’s realised life is too short to feel unhappy, and wants to move closer to her mum and sister, and have Bear’s cousins nearby for him.

“She thinks having two young children on her own will be a challenge, so she’d like to be close to her family, who can help her. She doesn’t want to have a baby without a support network. It was hard enough when Bear came along, and she was still with Liam then. She is really keen to be nearer to her mum before baby number two so everything is in place.

“Joan was a big help when she had Bear, but Cheryl doesn’t want her having to uproot from Newcastle to come down south, so this time she thinks it’d be fairer on Joan for her to move back north. It would be temporary to start with, but she’s open to making it her base if it works out for her family.”

The singer has remained on friendly terms with her ex, Liam, 25, despite the fact that he’s constantly travelling for his music career, and has been linked to the likes of Rita Ora, Naomi Campbell, and model Duckie Thot. And pals say she’s informed the former One Direction star of her desire to relocate with their son.

The insider says, “Cheryl broke the news to Liam. She’s told him she’s looking to have another child and may be moving home to be closer to family. Liam was a bit surprised, but Cheryl reassured him that he can visit as much as he wants.

Read even more celeb news in this week's Closer magazine - out now.