Hurt Cheryl: “Liam’s forced me to start dating”
ON THE COVER
n the month I since her split from Liam Payne, Cheryl has performed a drastic U-turn, returning to the spotlight with a vengeance.
The singer – who went into hiding after having 16-monthold son Bear – has recently been photographed in public and is now gearing up for a music comeback after a three-year hiatus.
Last week, 35-year-old Cheryl filmed a cameo role in children’s film Four Kids And It, while her fifth solo album is due out later this year, and she’ll make her debut on new reality show The Greatest Dancer next year.
And now friends say she’s overhauling her entire life, including her love life, after witnessing Liam, 24, partying with different women. Last week, the former One Direction star was snapped with a bikiniclad woman while in the South of France, and has been spotted with talent agent Jess Moloney twice in as many weeks.
STRUGGLE
A source says, “Cheryl feels that she’s over the worst of her break-up with Liam and is finally getting back to her old, happy self. It was always bound to be a struggle and painful to accept that it was all over, but now she wants to focus on her work, enjoy more nights out and have fun again. Seeing Liam hanging out with other women forced her to start thinking about dating and she has told pals she’s ready to get back out there.”
Last week, Closer
❛IT’S BEEN PAINFUL TO ACCEPT IT’S ALL OVER… BUT SHE’S READY TO GET BACK OUT THERE❜
reported how Simon Cowell has plans to set Cheryl up with someone, but while she hasn’t been on any dates yet she’s planning some girls’ nights out with fellow singleton and close pal Nicola Roberts.
The source says, “Cheryl is booking up her diary and getting some fun things planned with Nicola, as well as her manager and close friend Lily England. She can see that Liam is happily moving on which, of course, is hurtful – but it’s also a stark reminder that no one’s irreplaceable, not even Liam, and she realises she’s got to put herself first again, too. Her inner circle have noticed a real change in her recently – she’s excited to let her hair down and be open to meeting different types of men.
“Her close friends reckon she’ll be receptive to Simon’s offer to play Cupid for her and some of her inner circle are even persuading her to get on the celebrity dating app Raya, which she finds scary but hasn’t completely ruled out either.”
Last week, reports claimed Cheryl was still close to Kimberley Walsh’s brother, Adam – whom she first dated in 2003 and was later linked to in 2014. And Good Morning Britain host Piers Morgan even cheekily suggested Cheryl might want to move on with an older man, jokingly saying to the star at Simon Cowell’s recent party, “You’ve tried the toyboy route – must be time for the sexier older man, surely?” To which Cheryl replied, “Where’s he then?”
THE RIGHT MAN
But after a string of rocky relationships and two failed marriages – to Ashley Cole and later Jean-bernard Fernandez-versini – pals say she’s taking things slowly and being cautious.
The source says, “She’s mindful not to repeat her past mistakes. She doesn’t want to date another dancer like Tre Holloway or Derek Hough, and would quite like somebody outside of the entertainment world, who isn’t interested in the spotlight. For now, she just wants to have fun and spend more time with her girlfriends and, if the right man comes along, she’s not going to hesitate in seeing where things go.”
After a bitter backlash from fans following her split from Liam, pals say Cheryl is focused on removing any negativity around her and Liam’s relationship and winning back the public’s affection.
The source adds, “Cheryl is now concentrating on herself. She is throwing herself back into her work, winning back her fans and making sure her relationship with Liam doesn’t end up defining her. She didn’t envisage being in this place, but she’s adamant she’ll make the most of her next chapter.”