Cheryl and Liam’s pact prepares her for baby number two
As Liam Payne speaks about life co-parenting with ex Cheryl, insiders believe the singer is more ready than ever to welcome another child
She has previously praised him for being a “great dad” and handson with their son Bear – but last week Cheryl’s ex, Liam Payne, came under fire for revealing they had agreed he should “take time away” from them during the pandemic.
In an interview released last week but that took place during the first lockdown, Liam – who has been co-parenting with Cheryl since their split in July 2018 – said, “We discussed from the start [of lockdown] and, for different reasons, me and Cheryl decided I should be away for a little bit.”
He added it was “not unusual” for him to be “in and out” of his three-year-old son’s life.
Liam – who instead spent the three-month lockdown isolating with his American model fiancée, Maya Henry, 20 – also explained how the former couple wanted to keep Bear out of the public eye. He said that by doing so he’s enjoying a “double life”, explaining, “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.”
The candid admission came after Liam, 27, revealed in May that Bear was struggling to understand why he hadn’t been able to see his dad faceto-face for a while. Explaining how they’d kept in touch over FaceTime, he said, “The other day he said, ‘We need you here now, Daddy’. Bless him... made me want to cry.”
VIRTUAL PARENTING
However, their decision for Liam to co-parent Bear virtually during the pandemic confused some fans. One posted online, “Why on earth they can’t arrange for their son to spend time with both of them, which is allowed under lockdown rules, rather than only being able to see his father on a Zoom call, I have no idea.” Another wrote, “Why have they agreed that it’s OK for a dad to be in and out like that?”
But an insider tells Closer that Cheryl, 37, is surprised Liam’s comments caused upset as she feels the arrangement works well for them. And the singer – who revealed earlier this year that she was considering a sperm donor to have another two children by the age of 40 – is said to feel more ready than ever to go it alone having had more time as a single mum with Bear.
A source says, “Cheryl knows Bear is the most important thing in Liam’s life, so him being away more hasn’t been an issue at all.
“In a way, it’s actually helped her feel more confident about going it alone. The last few months have made her realise that, when the time comes for her to have another baby, she won’t need a man around to help her because she relishes being alone with her child.”
In January, Cheryl revealed she would explore using a sperm donor and said in an interview, “If time was on my side and I was in my twenties then, yeah, I would wait and consider more options, or wait for somebody I felt was right… but there is never a guarantee because there are so many variables that can happen. Life is a funny old game.”
And relationship expert Jo Barnett believes the reason Cheryl is so content with Liam spending more time away is because she is now fully confident on single mum duties.
CONFIDENCE
Jo explains, “Having your first baby is always quite daunting because it’s a huge responsibility, and there’s an awful lot to learn. Having a second parent there on hand helps ease that burden and provide support. But by now, Cheryl will have built up a considerable amount of confidence by being a single parent. The fact that she agreed to allowing Liam more time away from Bear seemingly shows this – that she feels positive and happy parenting alone. It’s
likely their pact has reassured her that she will be fine having another baby on her own, without the need for a man.”
Their set-up has also been reassuring for Cheryl as she had been concerned that, with Liam and his fiancée Maya living more in her native America, it could have meant Bear spending more time over there without her.
Liam has gushed over his ex’s parenting skills, calling her an “amazing” mum and thanking her for “showing my son all the love in the world.”
The source adds, “Cheryl had fears around Bear being away a lot so, in a way, this works for her as she doesn’t have to give him up too much. Because Cheryl and Liam are on such good terms, it means they can still hang out together with
Bear, which makes it easier than always having to split time to do things with Bear separately. Plus Liam’s confidence in her and their pact, which made her more of a single mum, has given her the confidence to go ahead with another baby – and friends believe she wants one sooner rather than later.”
MAIN PRIORITY
After their split, Liam insisted Bear was their priority, and made every effort to see him as much as possible – including spending every Christmas together, even last year when he was living with Maya. He said at the time, “I’m going to go down and see Bear and maybe cook a Christmas dinner. I want to see if he really ‘gets’ unwrapping presents this year. Otherwise it’ll just be Cheryl by the tree again.”
In an interview last year, Cheryl said, “Liam is a great dad. He’s much softer than me. It is what it is, and I’m OK about it. When you have a baby, you’re not consumed with just thinking about yourself.
It’s your responsibility to keep things settled and happy, so you make the best of everything. And we have.” Meanwhile,
Liam credited Cheryl for being “understanding and supportive” of his career while co-parenting. The source adds, “The way they parent might not work for everybody, but it’s perfect for them as a family.”
By Daisy McLure
HE’S GIVEN HER THE CONFIDENCE TO GO AHEAD WITH ANOTHER BABY SOON