Oh CHERYL, WHERE TO begin ?
IF A YEAR IS A LONG TIME in showbiz, then 2016 has been practically an epoch for the artist formally known as Cheryl Vernandez-fersini.
The year began with a bang when, following months of speculation, it was revealed that she had split from husband Jean-bernard Fernandez-Versini after just 18 months of marriage.
It wasn’t long until things took a toxic turn. Reports surfaced that Cheryl was terrified JB was planning to write a tell-all book, while others speculated he could receive a substantial portion of her £20m fortune because they neglected to sign a prenup.
Matters became more murky when several factors surrounding the French businessman’s background were called into question. Among them, claims that JB had studied at Paris’s prestigious ISG Business School, that he co-owned the Cannes pop-up Cosy Box – where he and Cheryl met – and that he came from a wealthy family all proved to be false.
Then came the most dramatic twist yet, as it emerged that Cheryl, 33, was in a new relationship – with former One Direction star Liam Payne, 23. The pair, who first met when a 14-year-old Liam auditioned for The X Factor, reportedly flew to the Maldives to celebrate Valentine’s Day together. Soon after, Liam confirmed their romance on Instagram, with a snap of them lounging in bed captioned ‘Happy’.
The same month, Grazia exclusively revealed that Cheryl’s divorce had finally been granted. After months of negotiations she was said to be ‘relieved’ to put the marriage behind her, while JB would receive no payout. As for her ever-evolving name? It was announced that she would now be known simply as ‘Cheryl’.
Before our nerves had time to recover, there was another shock, when she was pictured with an apparent baby bump. Although Cheryl has chosen not to officially confirm her pregnancy, she’s said to have told friends of the happy news that she and Liam are expecting their first child.
So what’s in store for 2017? After the last 12 months, all bets are off. But with the singer reportedly recording her next album, one thing is for certain: she’ll have plenty of inspiration to draw on.