She’s lived a seriously low-key life over the past 15 months, almost entirely stepping away from the spotlight. But last week, Cheryl made a welcome return, posting a selfie and a group snap with her glam squad alongside the caption, “We back.” The 37 year old didn’t share any details about the secret project she was working on, but it didn’t skip anyone’s attention that her timing was impeccable, as days earlier, her ex Liam Payne had revealed that he’d split from his fiancée Maya Henry.
According to insiders, Cheryl’s stepped up to support Liam – with whom she has four-year-old son Bear – in a big way over the past few months. And while fans and A-list friends celebrated her return to their Insta feeds, it’s her support for her ex behind the scenes that’s been most valuable.
“She’s been really rallying round Liam and making sure that she and Bear are there for him,” says an insider close to the singer, who split from the former One Direction star in 2018, after two years together.
“He has been really up and down about it. Things had been going wrong with Maya for a while, and the engagement [which they announced last August] had just made things worse. As soon as they started planning the wedding, it went sour, as Liam was feeling the pressure to change a lot of things in his life. It was Cheryl who was telling him that, if he wasn’t happy, then he needed to ‘grow a set’ and speak out. She saw it as her responsibility to be the voice of reason, as Liam’s choices have a direct impact on Bear.”
CHECK OUT celebrity splits that shocked the world
RADIO Celebrity splits that shocked the world - slider with cover pic
1 of 27Swipe through to see which celebrity splits shocked the world of showbiz
2 of 27Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth
Singer Miley Cyrus split from actor Liam Hemsworth in August 2019, despite only getting married in December 2018. Liam released a statement on Instagram, reading, ''Hi all. Just a quick note to say that Miley and I have recently separated and I wish her nothing but health and happiness going forward.'This is a private matter and I have not made, nor will I be making, any comments to any journalists or media outlets. Any reported quotes attributed to me are false. Peace and Love.'
3 of 27Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan
After meeting on the set of Step Up in 2006, Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan announced their marriage was over in April 2018. Revealing they are still great friends, the couple decided it was time to go their separate ways after almost nine years of marriage.
4 of 27Gabby Allen and Marcel Somerville
After meeting on Love Island 2017, things seemed to be going very well for Gabby Allen and former Blazin' Squad member Marcel Somerville. But in May 2018 allegations that Marcel had cheated on Gabby whilst they were on holiday together surfaced, leading Gabby to reportedly "dump" Marcel.
5 of 27Jake Quickenden and Danielle Fogarty
Dancing On Ice winner Jake Quickenden and Danielle Fogarty split in April 2018, despite being engaged. Speaking in early May, Jake appeared on Lorraine and said the couple are having time apart to focus on their busy work schedules. However, Jake did add, "There's not a bad word. I was with her on Monday, we still talk and I still love her to bits, but sometimes you've got to go away to come back."
6 of 27Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux
After two years of marriage, Friends actress Jennifer Aniston and her husband Justin Theroux announced their split in February 2018. Jen said, "We are two best friends who have decided to part ways as a couple but look forward to continuing our cherished friendship."
7 of 27Anna Faris and Chris Pratt
Hollywood actors Anna Faris and Chris Pratt announced their split in August 2017. The pair shocked the world as they always seemed so loved up at events since marrying in 2004.
8 of 27Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt
When Brangelina announced they were getting a divorce in 2016, fans were left in shock. The pair had been dating since 2004 and married in 2014. They have six children together.
9 of 27Fergie and Josh Duhamel
Fergie and Josh Duhamel's split rocked fans in September 2017. The couple said, "With absolute love and respect we decided to separate." The pair were married for eight years.
10 of 27Perrie Edwards and Zayn Malik
Former One Direction star Zayn Malik popped the question to Little Mix singer Perrie Edwards, but just a few months later Zayn dumped his fiancé by text.
11 of 27Taylor Swift and Calvin Harris
Taylor Swift and Calvin Harris seemed very loved up with each other, until they split in 2016 and ended things on very bad terms. Calvin even ended up having a Twitter rant about his ex.
12 of 27Dougie Poynter and Ellie Goulding
Hearts broke all over the world when Ellie Goulding and Dougie Poynter announced their split. After rekindling their romance for a few months, they finally called it quits in 2016. Ellie is now engaged to Caspar Jopling.
13 of 27Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes
Another massive shock in the world of celeb relationships! Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes split in 2012 after six years of marriage. The pair share their daughter Suri together.
14 of 27Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow
After 10 years of marriage, actress Gwyneth Paltrow announced her split from Coldplay frontman Chris Martin. The split became famous because the former couple bizarrely entitled it "conscious uncoupling."
15 of 27Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner split in 2010 but have since remained great friends and co-parent their children.
16 of 27Jake Roche and Jesy Nelson
Despite popping the question to Little Mix singer Jesy Nelson, Rixton frontman Jake Roche couldn't make his relationship work with Jesy, causing the pair to split in 2016.
17 of 27Lady Gaga and Taylor Kinney
Pop superstar Lady Gaga shocked her fans in 2016 when she revealed herself and her partner Taylor Kinney were 'taking a break' after a five-year relationship.
18 of 27Miranda Kerr and Orlando Bloom
They were one of Hollywood's hottest couples, so it was a major shock to fans when Miranda Kerr and Orlando Bloom announced their split in 2013. The pair had been married for just three years.
19 of 27Millie Mackintosh and Professor Green
Professor Green split with former Made In Chelsea star Millie Mackintosh in 2016, just three years after they married. Millie is now dating her ex-boyfriend Hugo Taylor.
20 of 27Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale
Singers Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale ended their marriage in 2016. The couple have three children together, Zuma, Apollo and Kingston.
21 of 27Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom
They went through a number of ups and downs but Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom's relationship ended after four years of marriage, with Khloe filling for divorce from the basketball player.
22 of 27Will Arnett and Amy Poehler
Will Arnett and Amy Poehler separated back in 2012 after nine years of marriage, but it took until 2016 for the couple's divorce to be finalised.
23 of 27Ariana Grande and Mac Miller
Ariana Grande and Mac Miller announced they had split up in May 2018. The couple had been together for two year and even recorded some duets together. They reportedly chose to end their relationship due to their busy work schedules.
24 of 27Cheryl Tweedy and Liam Payne
After a two year romance and a baby boy, Cheryl Tweedy and Liam Payne announced they'd decided to go their separate ways on Sunday 1st July 2018. Releasing a joint tweet, the statement read, "We are sad to announce that we are going our separate ways. It's been a tough decision for us to make. 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."
25 of 27Alexandra 'Binky' Felstead and Josh 'JP' Patterson
Despite welcoming their daughter India into the world in 2017, Made In Chelsea stars Binky and JP announced their shock split in September 2018. The couple, who vowed to remain friends with their daughter being their number one priority, released a statement on Instagram.
26 of 27Adele and Simon Konecki
Singer Adele confirmed she'd split from her husband Simon Konecki after three years of marriage. The couple share a son together.
27 of 27Maya Jama and Stormzy
After four years of dating, rapper Stormzy and TV presenter Maya Jama split up to focus on their careers.
Last week, Liam got candid about his recent break-up while appearing on the Diary Of A CEO podcast, and said he wasn’t “very good at relationships”. He explained, “I’m more disappointed in myself that I keep on hurting people… I know what my pattern of things is with relationships, at this point. I’m just not very good at them, so I just need to work on myself before I put myself on to somebody else.”
This came two months after he praised Cheryl yet again, saying in an interview, “[She] is literally the best person to co-parent with. No stress involved… And I’m closer to them than I’ve ever been before, actually, which is really nice.”
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It’s no secret that Cheryl and Liam, 27, have stayed good friends, and Liam’s been known to turn to her for support advice – whether that’s for his parental duties or his career. In fact, his reliance on her proved to be a real sticking point with Maya, who moved to the UK from Texas to be with Liam. Last year, Liam and Maya moved from London to Buckinghamshire to be near Bear and Cheryl, and according to insiders, Maya struggled with the isolation, especially when Liam was visiting his son.
According to our insiders, as tensions grew between them, Liam would spend even more time with Cheryl, who provided a listening ear and some tough love when needed. “Instead of dealing with his issues, Liam would be around Cheryl a lot, off-loading all his problems on to her,” we’re told. “She knows his behaviour in relationships as she’s been through it all herself, so she could be really blunt with him. She just wants him to be the best dad he can be, and since the split, he’s been around more than ever.”
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