Liam Payne has revealed he and ex-girlfriend Cheryl have agreed he should spend some time 'away' from their son Bear Payne.
The former One Direction fella - who recently got engaged to fiancée Maya Henry - has admitted that he hasn't seen three-year-old Bear for the duration of lockdown; the longest they've been apart 'in his life.'
Discussing the pair's agreement in an interview with Tings magazine, Liam said, "[Lockdown] it's the longest I haven't seen him [Bear] in his life.
"But we discussed from the start and for different reasons, me and Cheryl decided I should be away for a little bit."
Claiming that Bear is 'chill' when it comes to his hectic lifestyle, Liam added, "It's not unusual for me to be in and out of his life.
"He's a quiet and chill child. He doesn't worry about things too much."
Liam - who recently released Christmas track Naughty List with TikTok star Dixie D'Amelio - also reckons the decision to keep Bear out of the spotlight has made his role as a father go unnoticed by many.
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.
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Jack Fincham confuses fans with rare snap of daughter Blossom
He said, "I get to be a dad and have a family in that way, that's complete opposite of that [showbiz] zone.
"It's mine for my own, except for Cheryl and Bear."
This all comes after a source told heat Cheryl is keen for a sibling for Bear; feeling additional pressure due to Liam and Maya's recent engagement.
"Her worry has been about Liam starting a new family and what that means for her,” our source says of the 37-year-old.
“Cheryl has decided to stop feeling sad about her situation and do something about it, she wants to have some happy news soon and do it on her own.”
Cheryl is also said to have considered using a surrogate. In an interview earlier this year, Cheryl explained that she felt 'very happy' about the idea; admitting it might be her best chance of baby number two.
"If time was on my side and I was in my twenties, yeah, I would wait and consider more options, or wait for somebody I felt was right," she said.