She’s been on an unofficial dating hiatus over the past few years, focusing instead on full-time motherhood and maintaining the best co-parenting relationship with baby daddy Liam Payne. But, according to insiders, Cheryl is finally starting to consider her own needs, after spending so much time focusing on others.
And now that Liam’s reportedly back on again with his ex Maya Henry, she’s realising she’s spent far too much time supporting him through his love dramas, and putting her own love life on the back burner. We’re told that the 38 year old has told friends she’s entering “a new phase in her life” – and she’s more than ready to share it with someone special.
“Seeing Liam and Maya get back together has made her realise she’s got to start putting herself first again,” says an insider close to Cheryl, who shares four-year-old son Bear with the former One Direction singer.
“She was there for Liam as he coped with his split from Maya and they really bonded as a family with Bear. They were getting on so well and it made her forget about all the problems they used to have as Liam seemed so much more mature, but she admits she got carried away. She now realises it’s time for her to find love again.”
CHECK OUT celebrity couples we never saw coming
Celebrity couples we never saw coming slider with cover pic
1 of 17Swipe through to see all the surprising celebrity couples we never saw coming...
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After her split from fellow Love Island star Marcel Somervillle, CBB star Gabby Allen announced she is now dating X Factor winner Myles Stephenson.
3 of 17Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
Prince Harry and Suits actress Meghan Markle began dating in October 2016 and married in May 2018. Their first child is due in Spring 2019.
4 of 17Channing Tatum and Jessie J
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5 of 17Selena Gomez and The Weeknd
Nobody saw a romance between singers Selena Gomez and The Weeknd coming! But they went strong until October 2017 when the pair reportedly split up.
6 of 17Cheryl and Liam Payne
Cheryl and One Direction singer Liam Payne shocked the world when they announced they were dating back in February 2016. Despite a ten year age gap, the couple welcomed their first child, Bear Grey Payne, back in March 2017. However, in July 2018, Cheryl and Liam released a joint statement revealing they'd split.
7 of 17Katy Perry and Russell Brand
Katy Perry and Russell Brand married in 2010, much to the surprise of fans. Their marriage was short-lived, leading to a divorce in 2012.
8 of 17Taylor Swift and Tom Hiddleston
Taylor Swift and Tom Hiddleston were 2016's most talked about romance! Unfortunately, the couple went their separate ways a year later.
9 of 17Rob Kardashian and Blac Chyna
Rob Kardashian started dating Blac Chyna in 2016, despite her previously dating Rob's sister's ex-boyfriend Tyga. They welcomed a baby girl together called Dream and later ended on very bad terms!
10 of 17Vogue Williams and Spencer Matthews
Fans didn't expect Vogue Williams and Spencer Matthews to become a couple! The pair met when they were filming for Channel 4 show The Jump in 2017, got married in June 2018, and welcomed son Theodore in September 2018.
11 of 17Sacha Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher
Sacha Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher married in 2010 after a six year engagement. Nobody saw this marriage coming with the unusual movie roles Sacha plays!
12 of 17Stephanie Pratt and Jonny Mitchell
Love Island star Jonny Mitchell and Made In Chelsea's Stephanie Pratt left fans in shock when they confirmed their romance with this picture in September 2017. Sadly, the couple have split in December 2017.
13 of 17Benji Madden and Cameron Diaz
Actress Cameron Diaz married Benji Madden just two months after she met him, despite many not seeing their romance coming.
14 of 17Nicole Richie and Joel madden
After starring in TV show The Simple Life with her best friend Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie turned a lot of heads when she married Good Charlotte singer Joel Madden in 2010! They share children Harlow and Sparrow.
15 of 17Chris Martin and Jennifer Lawrence
After his split from Gwyneth Paltrow, Coldplay singer Chris Martin was spotted getting cosy with The Hunger Games actress Jennifer Lawrence. Despite not actually confirming a romance, the pair reportedly called things off in 2016.
16 of 17Sam and Aaron Taylor-Johnson
Fans of actor Aaron Johnson were left in shock when he married Fifty Shades Of Grey director Sam Taylor. Despite Sam being 24 years older than Aaron, the pair combined their surnames when they got married in 2012. They now have two daughters together, Wylda and Romy.
17 of 17Mary-Kate Olsen and Olivier Sarkozy
Olsen twin Mary-Kate married French banker Olivier Sarkozy in 2015, despite a 17-year age gap between the pair.
Cheryl and Liam, 27, delighted fans last month when they were pictured together in Liam’s native Wolverhampton, after attending his niece’s birthday party with Bear. As heat reported, the former couple were spending more time together than ever before – and some friends started to speculate they might even get back together. Liam himself said in April that he and Cheryl were “closer than ever”.
And while she apparently told those close to her things were strictly platonic, there was no denying that she enjoyed having Liam around more and imagining what could have been if they hadn’t broken up.
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But last week, Liam all but confirmed that he’d rekindled his romance with 21-year-old Maya, as the pair were pictured in St Tropez together, attending a luxury yacht party – with insiders saying he’d “won her back” after months of grovelling, and that their 2022 wedding was well and truly back on.
Their reconciliation, we’re told, has been a massive wake-up call for Cheryl. “She’s asked friends to set her up as she hardly goes out, so can’t meet anyone that way, and she doesn’t want to do online dating,” we’re told. “This is the longest she’s ever been single, so it’s going to take her a while to get used to dating again, but she feels ready for something serious.”
Read more in the latest issue of heat magazine – OUT NOW.