With two divorces behind her, Cheryl knows that happily ever after isn’t always so simple. But over the past few years, the singer’s found a sense of stability and contentment after settling down in her Buckinghamshire home with her three-year-old son Bear and maintaining a good co-parenting relationship with his dad Liam Payne.
So, understandably, the singer is despairing at her life being thrown into disarray again after it was revealed that Liam had got engaged to his girlfriend of a year, Maya Henry. According to insiders, Cheryl’s feeling like she’s been “shoved to the back of the room”, and is worried she’s now a spare part in Liam’s life.
Couple that with the fact that Maya will be Bear’s stepmum, and Cheryl’s feeling even more insecure. We’re told the singer may be putting on a brave face, but she’s dreading the fallout of Liam’s happy news, which he confirmed for the first time last week during an interview with Good Morning America.
“Cheryl and Bear have been the centre of Liam’s life for a while now, but in the last few months, she’s felt things shifting,” says an insider close to the 37 year old, who was in regular contact with Liam over FaceTime during lockdown – they decided to keep Bear in isolation with Cheryl, while Liam stayed in London with Maya.
“He’s become very close to his future in-laws and now Liam’s parents are involved, too. Everyone is so excited about the wedding. Maya is from Texas and they’re all getting excited for a big party in the US. The Paynes have become like family to Cheryl, so it’s a very funny feeling to be separate from the excitement.”
While Liam has been open about how much time he spends away from Bear while working and travelling around the world – recently saying, “If I could fit one person in my bag, it would have to be my son” – his parents Karen and Geoff, alongside Cheryl’s mum Joan, have been an ever-present part of Bear’s life. Last year, Cheryl spoke about her early days of motherhood, saying in an interview, “Liam was away working in the first four months, so I got totally used to doing everything. And if I needed more help, I’d be on the phone to the grandparents – his parents and my mum – and they’d come down.” So, it’s no surprise that now that Liam and Maya’s families are getting closer and planning nuptials, Cheryl’s struggling to find her place.
Suddenly, things like birthdays, Christmases and group family holidays are feeling distinctly problematic.
“There’s no more talk of doing little family getaways,” says our source, pointing out that things have changed since last year, when Liam said Cheryl was “one of the most, if not the most, important people” in his life. “It’s now all starting to be about Liam and his ‘new’ family.
Cheryl was once at the top of the list in the Payne household, but she now feels like she’s an awkward presence to have around. She knows Liam would never try to take Bear away from her – the plan is that he is going to be spending more time in the US with Maya, but always on a schedule that will ensure he’s back with Bear – but Liam is already talking about how much he’s looking forward to having Bear spend his holidays with them in the States. It just feels, for Cheryl, like a big kick in the teeth.”
Check out: the celebs expecting babies in 2020
Celebrities expecting babies 2022 - radio stacked
1 of 26Gogglebox's Georgia Bell
Gogglebox star Georgia has announced she's expecting her first child with boyfriend Josh. Taking to Instagram to bring in 2022, Georgia, 21, posted an adorable snap of a framed baby scan that read: 'Baby Newby Due July 2022.'
2 of 26Nicolas Cage and Riko Shibata
Hollywood actor Nicolas Cage and his fifth wife Riko Shibata announced in January 2022 that they are expecting their first child together. The pair met in 2020 and got married in 2021.
3 of 26Katie Salmon
Love Island 2016 star Katie Salmon announced she was pregnant with her first child with fiancé Harry in January, telling fans that she was already six months pregnant and has been keeping her lovely news a secret.
4 of 26Lauren Goodger
After welcoming her daughter Larose in July 2021, reality star Lauren Goodger announced in January 2022 that she's pregnant with her second child! Although admitting the pregnancy was a shock, Lauren revealed herself and boyfriend Charles are very excited!
5 of 26Shay Mitchell
Pretty Little Liars star Shay Mitchell announced she's expecting her second child with her boyfriend Matte Babel, just weeks after announcing the sad death of her grandmother.
6 of 26Lottie Tomlinson and Lewis Burton
Louis Tomlinson's younger sister Lottie announced she's expecting her first child with her boyfriend Lewis Burton in February.
7 of 26Alexandra Burke and Darren Randolph
Former X Factor winner Alexandra Burke announced she's expecting her first child with her footballer boyfriend Darren Randolph. The pair confirmed their baby is due in June 2022.
8 of 26Chloe Madeley and James Haskell
Chloe Madeley announced she's expecting a baby girl with her husband James Haskell in February!
9 of 26Nicola Adams and Ella Baig
Professional boxer Nicola Adams and her girlfriend Ella Baig are expecting their first child together after going through the process of IVF. The couple announced their lovely news in February, revealing in April that they are expecting a baby boy!
10 of 26Michael Bublé and Luisana Lopilato
Michael Bublé confirmed his wife Luisana Lopilato is pregnant in an Instagram post following the 'reveal' in a music video where fans could see her baby bump. Despite revealing the baby bump some fans thought it might just be for the video, so he confirmed it in a post saying: 'Ooops! We did it again ud83eudd2d… bebit@ en camino ud83dudc9b✨ud83eudd30ud83cudffc❤ufe0f' (sic)The second part of the caption translate as 'baby on the way'.
11 of 26Michael Sheen and Anna Lundberg
Welsh actor Michael Sheen announced in early March that his girlfriend Anna Lundberg was pregnant with the couple's second child.
12 of 26Jess Shears and Dom Lever
Love Island series 3 stars Jess Shears and Dom Lever announced in March they are expecting their second child together, another baby boy!
13 of 26Ray Quinn and Emily Ashleigh
Former X Factor and Hollyoaks star Ray Quinn announced in March his fiancée Emily Ashleigh is pregnant with the couple's first child.
14 of 26Joe and Rosie Wicks
The Body Coach Joe Wicks MBE and his wife Rosie announced in March they are expecting their third child together, posting this cute snap on Instagram!
15 of 26Leona Lewis and Dennis Jauch
Former X Factor winner Leona Lewis announced in March she's expecting her first child with her husband Dennis Jauch.
16 of 26Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas
After months of rumours, Sophie Turner confirmed she's expecting her second child with Joe Jonas when she debuted her bump at The Oscars Vanity Fair party at the end of March.
17 of 26Charlotte Crosby
Reality star Charlotte Crosby announced in April she's expecting her first child with her boyfriend Jake Ankers. In the post on Instagram, Charlotte filmed herself telling the happy news to her family.
18 of 26Tayah Victoria and Adam Aveling
Married At First Sight UK couple Tayah Victoria and Adam Aveling announced they are expecting their first child together, just weeks after celebrating one-year since meeting on the show. The pair have since announced they are expecting a baby girl.
19 of 26Tuppence Middleton
Downton Abbey star Tuppence Middleton, who plays Lucy Branson in the franchise, announced she's expecting her first child, showing off her blossoming bump at the Downton Abbey: A New Era premiere on Monday 25th April.
20 of 26Kelly Osbourne
Kelly Osbourne announced in May that she's expecting her first child with her boyfriend, Slipknot star Sid Wilson, sharing the lovely news on social media.
21 of 26Christina Perri
Singer Christina Perri and her husband Paul Costabile shared the lovely news that they are expecting another baby. Christina posted an adorable video of their daughter Carmella opening a box to reveal the sonogram and her caption revealed that the couple are expecting a baby girl!
22 of 26Maeva D'Ascanio and James Taylor
Made In Chelsea couple Maeva and James announced at the end of May that they are expecting their first child together, with a due date of November.
23 of 26Heidi and Spencer Pratt
Reality TV stars Heidi and Spencer Pratt announced in June they are expecting their second child together! The couple, who appeared on The Hills, dubbed the news a 'miracle baby'.
24 of 26Jorgie Porter and Ollie Piotrowski
Months after miscarrying quadruplets, Hollyoaks star Jorgie Porter and her fiancé Ollie Piotrowski announced in June the lovely news they were pregnant again.
25 of 26Tanya Burr
YouTube star Tanya Burr announced in June that she was pregnant with her first child, with her mystery boyfriend. Sharing an image of them cradling her blossoming baby bump, Tanya wrote: 'We love you so much already little ud83eudd5c'.
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26 of 26Billie Faiers and Greg Shepherd
Reality TV star Billie Faiers and her husband Greg Shepherd announced in June they were expecting their third child together. The couple are already parents to daughter Nelly and son Arthur.
Then, of course, comes the singer’s fears about her ex and his future wife having more kids, and what that might mean for her and Bear. According to our insider, Liam and Maya – who first met in 2015 at a 1D gig when she was a fan – haven’t considered having children anytime soon as Maya’s only 20 and Liam’s diary is already very busy.
But them getting engaged symbolises a new chapter in their lives, and Maya taking on an important new role in Bear’s life, too. Liam has spoken in the past about how Cheryl was “always really glued” to their son in the early days, and not much has changed since, so making way for a new woman in his life will be an uncomfortable change.
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What’s more, over the past 12 months, Cheryl has been candid about her desire to have more children, saying at the beginning of the year that she’d consider using a sperm donor – there have also been rumours that she’s looking at surrogacy. Of course Liam’s news won’t derail her plans, but it puts her situation into stark contrast. While she’s still single and struggling to move on, Liam is making big plans for his future.
“Maya is going to be Bear’s stepmother, and that’s hard for Cheryl,” says our source. “She can’t help worrying about another woman having such a big role in her son’s life. It makes her think back to her past and wonder what life would have been like if things had worked out with her ex-husbands [Ashley Cole and Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini] or with Liam.
“She’s doing amazingly as a single mum, but she is desperate for that fairy-tale ending.”
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