Turning 30 is a pretty big deal – and one which that calls for a celebration – although it’s not normally your ex doing the party planning. But with Liam Payne’s 30th birthday fast approaching, former partner Cheryl is busy arranging a bash the 1D singer will never forget – recruiting their young son Bear as her deputy events planner.
An insider tells heat that Cheryl, 40, is keeping a close eye on her baby daddy, who recently revealed that he’d spent 100 days in rehab earlier this year and is now six months sober.
“Cheryl wants Liam’s birthday to be a family bash that will help show him how a non-party life can be just as much fun,” says our source close to Cheryl, who split from Liam in 2018 after two years.
“With the big 3-0 approaching, Liam’s feeling a little wobbly. This year has been a huge turning point in his life in terms of dealing with his demons and how he used partying to cope with his issues. Cheryl knows that, as much as he puts on a brave face, he’s been very up and down about celebrating this big birthday. She feels for him, but she’s also very mindful that it might not take much for him to fall back into old ways again. So, she’s being proactive with organising something he will enjoy.”
Taking on the role of party planner alongside the former X Factor judge is the couple’s son Bear, six, who recently celebrated Cheryl’s own lavish 40th birthday bash last month. Revealing that Bear is hoping for a celebration as memorable as his mum’s, our insider shares, “Cheryl wants to do a family party at her place, gathering all of Liam’s relatives there. She’s letting Bear get involved – he’s in charge of the cake, the balloons and all the food.”
We’re told Cheryl’s using the big event as a way to remind Liam – who recently got back together with his girlfriend of a year, American influencer Kate Cassidy – that family is more important than any night out. And, with Bear calling the shots, our insider says there’ll be plenty of father and son bonding taking place.
“They’re also taking Bear to a theme park for a day and going to a football match,” says our insider.
”She just wants to show Liam how much fun they can have doing family things. She knows he needs a lot of support right now, and she wants to show him how loved he is – and how much his boy looks up to him, and wants to be part of his life and spend time with him.”