The sparks had flown between Liam Payne and Cheryl Cole during X Factor U.K. The pair had first met in 2008 while Cheryl was a judge on the show, and Payne a contestant, to create boy band One Direction. After going public with their romance in 2015, Cheryl officially announced her pregnancy in 2017.
The same month that their child Bear arrived, Liam spoke glowingly about his ladylove. “She is a wonderful, wonderful person and it’s amazing to have someone who can relate to so much of things — someone who’s taken greater steps than me,” he had declared, adding, “She’s been my dream girl since I was younger. She’s so ace.”
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Marriage, however, was apparently not on the cards, as Payne had revealed that he saw marriage “as more of a religious thing and I’m not really a religious person.” He had also added, “We have a baby together — you know, our love for each other can’t be more serious, so it is what it is I guess.”
Sometimes even love and a baby is not enough… Earlier this year, the couple was hit by breakup speculations. In March Liam denied that their relationship was on the rocks, even as he admitted that they faced struggles. He also commented, “The funniest thing was a week before we were getting married. The next week we’re splitting up.”
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Sharing more insight into their relationship, he said, “I just like to think we’re somewhere in the middle. You know, we have our struggles — like of course I’m not gonna sit here and say that everything’s absolutely fine and dandy, because of course you go through different things, and that’s what a relationship is,” he continued. “But we go through them together as a family and that’s the most important thing for me.”
Cheryl had also dissed rumours that they were putting on an act for the cameras saying, “Your ‘stunt’ theories are just ludicrous and a bit weird.” However, none of that matters now as both have confirmed their split via Twitter, adding, “It’s been a tough decision for us to make.” Their statements declare, “We still have so much love for each other as a family. Bear is our world and we ask that you respect his privacy as we navigate our way through this together.”
