Cheryl’s preparing for her big comeback, and she needs her baby daddy to step up
As she gears up for her return, she wants Liam to step up
Ever since she became a mother to Bear 18 months ago, Cheryl has barely left her son’s side. But all that is about to change as she prepares to relaunch her music career. And heat has been told she’s determined to make sure Bear is unaffected, with her ex Liam Payne taking on greater daddy duties.
Cheryl has been Bear’s main carer since he was born, with Liam spending large amounts of time away for work. But insiders tell us now she’s going to have to spend more time apart from her son, she will need to rely on Liam more. “Cheryl’s realising just how tough it’s going to be to coordinate schedules – she’s been finding that a struggle. It’s very stressful,” our source says. “She working on her music and her role as a judge on [new TV show] The Greatest Dancer. There’s already been a lot of meetings and work for both projects – the hours for the TV show are very long and she’s gone all day. Add the music into the mix and she’s realising just how much it will take her away from Bear – and how much support she needs.”
The friend adds, “Cheryl is really protective over Bear, and really doesn’t want to have to rely on outside help from nannies. She is lucky in that her mum, brother, and Lily [England, her manager] are all available to help, and Bear loves them.
“Also, she now knows how much she needs Liam and his family, too. His parents have been a big help with childcare and, as hard as break-ups
are, they are having to put the drama aside in order to come together. She can’t do this without him.”
Things haven’t been that easy between Cheryl, 35, and Liam, 25, since they split in July. As heat has told you, she has been upset at how quickly Liam seems to have moved on, having been pictured partying with a series of other women. But we’re told she knows that Bear needs his dad.
“At first, when the break-up was still very raw. Cheryl found it hard to speak to Liam and admit she needed help,” our insider says. “But now reality has set in, and she realises that, in order to get what is best for Bear and for her, too, she needs to rely on Liam as much as she can. When they were together, she sometimes found it hard to ask Liam for help, because he was so busy. But now they’re not in a relationship, Liam wants to spend his free time with Bear.”
The insider continues, “While they’re both trying their best to keep things amicable, there’s still quite a lot of tension. They are barely speaking at the moment – Liam lets her know his plans for travel and work, but his mum is the one who takes Bear a lot. It’s quite hard on both of them, but they are lucky that at least their families can help. She and Liam know their son has to come first.” We’re told Cheryl is particularly stressed about her musical comeback, as she feels this is her last chance. “She needs both ventures to be a success,” we’re told. “But Cheryl’s really nervous about releasing new music after taking so much time out. It’s been almost four years since she’s had a song out, and she feels that she won’t really get another shot at it. She thinks if it flops, there’s no coming back and trying again next year. Right now, she is stressing over the marketing budget and worrying that she won’t get enough airplay unless they can pull some strings. She’s very much trying to come up with a plan that will ensure she gets the most publicity she can.
“She also knows she’ll have to do a lot of TV performances and public appearances, and it’s likely to be the same shows that Liam is doing. And, although she’d rather him not be there, she realises it’ll be good for publicity.”
And while Cheryl’s priority will always be Bear, she’s looking forward to having some of her old life back. “She loves the days she is home with Bear, but she’s having to juggle things even then,” our source explains. “She is trying to stick to a workout schedule and needs time for styling preparation and beauty treatments. She has to fit in all of that around Bear and his sleeping time, and wanting to do play dates and activities. Being a single mum is tough, it’s all on Cheryl, really. She can feel quite lonely at times, so she’s excited at the thought of going out more and having a little bit of a life, and maybe even meeting men.
“She’s just trying to figure it all out right now.” n Kate Randall
‘Cheryl and Liam are barely speaking at the moment’