Inside Cheryl & Liam’s make-or-break holiday

● Cheryl lashes out after Liam is linked to two different women ● They head to Dubai to spend quality time together to fix their relationship ● She hopes to have more children

heir relationship T has been put under increasing pressure as reports of problems persist. And, last week, an angry Cheryl lashed out on social media in defence of her boyfriend Liam Payne after snaps surfaced of him “flirting” with his backing dancer, Chloe Ferns, backstage and talking to Cheryl’s manager, Lily England, after one of his recent performances.

Taking to Twitter, Cheryl blasted the reports “involving an innocent dancer colleague of Liam’s who has a fiancé” and said the claims were a “desperate attempt to try to cause problems between Liam and I.” And pals say the latest drama overshadowed what was supposed to be a make-or-break trip to Dubai last week for the couple to reconnect. A source says, “The flirting claims couldn’t have happened at a worse time for Cheryl and Liam, who were looking forward to some muchneeded time together. When Cheryl landed in Dubai with Bear to meet Liam, she was still woundup from it. While she knew Liam hadn’t done anything wrong, she was upset and took out her frustrations on him as she was still reeling from having to publicly defend their relationship yet again.

FRUSTRATED

“Liam urged her not to let it ruin their holiday, but it took Cheryl a good few days to get over it and that in itself left her frustrated because she felt like once again the rumour-mill was just adding to their relationship problems.” They stayed at a luxurious

five-star resort, where they reportedly had their own £2,000-a-night villa with an infinity pool for ultimate seclusion and privacy. They paid extra for a private chef and butler, as well as splashing out on a fullystaffed yacht for day trips.”

RECONNECTING

The source adds, “With Liam having a break following his performance in Dubai, he suggested Cheryl and Bear joined him. Although she’s not keen on following Liam around, Cheryl was willing this time as she knew this holiday was imperative for them to reconnect. She’s been happy for Liam to concentrate on work as she knows what it means to him, but this showed how much he still needed her, which she found touching. After all the stress of the last few weeks, she really needs Liam to want her and for them both to rekindle what they had in the beginning.”

The Strip That Down singer, 24, recently missed his son’s first birthday due to work commitments in Japan and admitted, “It’s a risk that I will miss out on certain things. I am aware of that, but it’s important for me that I carry on and make this right for him.”

And pals say that for Cheryl, 34, seeing Liam spending tender moments with their son renewed her wish to get their relationship back on track. The source adds, “They loved spending quality time with Bear – taking him swimming and watching cartoons together – as well as having time for romance. Cheryl said watching Liam spend time with Bear and connecting over their love for him helped them hugely. Spending time together without the pressures of work and home life helped them remember why they fell in love. She’s determined to make it work so she’s doing her best to ensure they’re never apart for more than two weeks, and scheduling in date nights and holidays. Cheryl’s hoping it will help them continue on a more positive path.”

BABY HOPES

And pals say she is still hoping to add to their family. The source says, “Cheryl’s always longed for a big family, so she’d love to have another child soon. But she knows Liam is working on his career and she understands it’s important for them to focus on their relationship first.”

Meanwhile, there were reports last week that Cheryl won’t be returning to The X Factor this year, despite previous claims she would. Instead, Rita Ora, Craig David, Louis Tomlinson, Alesha Dixon and Kylie Minogue are all rumoured to be potentials as the judging panel is given a shake-up to boost ailing viewing figures.

Earlier this year, Cheryl filmed a segment for new BBC1 show The Greatest Dancer, and insiders claim she’s keen to focus on that instead. The news comes as it was revealed she spent £200k during her pregnancy, with her company, CC Entertainments, decreasing in value from £1.4m to £1.2m during her spell away from the spotlight.