Sinitta: “Cheryl’s a hands-on mum”
The singer and X Factor veteran talks about how motherhood has changed her pal Cheryl, and reveals why her ex Simon Cowell has ruled out more children
After more than 30 years in the spotlight, she’s no stranger to rubbing shoulders with A-listers. Sinitta has dated Brad Pitt and Simon Cowell, and has many celebrity pals, including Cheryl. Sinitta met the singer ten years ago on The X Factor. And even though Cheryl – who has Bear, two, with ex Liam Payne – quit the show in 2016, they still catch up regularly. And Sinitta, 56, loves seeing the change in Cheryl since she became a mum, and also how parenthood has changed Simon, 60, who has Eric, five, with Lauren Silverman. She says, “Bear was at Eric’s birthday party earlier this year, and Cheryl was letting him indulge, but trying not to let him overindulge. In public, you don’t want to be the disciplined mother while everyone else is letting their children stuff their faces with sweets. But she was taking things away and saying, ‘No – we’ll have this, and not that.’ She’s good – she’s hands-on.”
ADORABLE
It’s no surprise that Cheryl – who split from first husband Ashley Cole in 2010 – has taken to motherhood so well, as she has never hidden the fact she couldn’t wait to start a family, saying in 2012, “I’m obsessed with babies. I know that is what I was put on earth to do – to be a mother.”
Her dream finally came true when
Bear arrived, and Sinitta – who shares adopted children Magdalena, 14, and
Zac, 13, with ex-husband Andy Willner – knows how much it means to Cheryl.
She adds, “Bear is adorable – he looks like both of them, actually. Cheryl and Liam have both got that little pixie look, haven’t they? It’s so funny, because I remember the first time I met Cheryl, she was a tiny little thing herself. I’d just adopted my babies maybe the year before, and she used to always pick up my little boy and go, ‘Oh my gosh – I’m going to have one like this one day.’ She was with Ashley then, so it’s funny that she’s this grown woman with a baby now.”
Another celebrity parent Sinitta’s full of praise for is her former flame and close pal Simon, who regularly invites Sinitta to appear on The X Factor live shows and at the judges’ houses. After dating in the ’80s, the pair have remained close, and Simon is godfather to her children.
BREAK-UPS AND MAKE-UPS
“Simon is a really, really loyal friend. I mean, we’ve been friends for decades and he’s still exactly the same person
– the same sense of humour and everything. He didn’t change with fame.”
The former couple dated on and off for 20 years, and Sinitta was part of Simon’s infamous harem, which included his ex-girlfriends Terri Seymour, Mezhgan Hussainy and Jackie St Clair.
But while she is keen to shoot down any claims there was tension between them, she admits she did struggle to see Simon
with other women. She says, “I used to suffer with jealousy sometimes, which is why Simon and I would always make-up and break-up, make-up and break-up. But once you transition into the friend-zone there’s nothing to argue about, or to get upset about any more.”
The mum-of-two says she’s happy her ex is finally settled with girlfriend Lauren, 42. In fact, Sinitta insists the
X Factor judge is so content with his life, there may not be room for another baby. She adds, “I honestly don’t know if Simon will have more children.
I think he’s so in love with Eric, and he’s so fulfilled and so satisfied, that there just isn’t any love left. He’s completely besotted with Eric. Simon was always a softie – I’ve always said that to people.” By Julie Ann Trainor
● Sinitta took part in the Hotels.com Football Fans Survey
‘I used to suffer with
jealousy over Simon’