CHERYL’S BABY-FREE WEEKENDER
Liam admits to struggles as Cheryl jets off to Cannes
She’s kept a low profile over the past year, focusing on being a mum to Bear and plotting her musical comeback. But Cheryl took some time off from nappy duty last week, as she headed to Cannes – in a private jet, no less. Before giving birth last year, the 34 year old was a regular on the film festival’s red carpet, thanks to her role as a L’oréal ambassador. Her reappearance this year – with BFF assistant Lily England and brother Garry along for the ride – gave her the chance to enjoy some time off from mummy responsibilities.
But before the glamour kicked off, the exhausted singer planned to catch up on some sleep, telling fans after she touched down, “I’ve already had one nap – trust us, I’m planning on squeezing in another.”
Meanwhile, as Liam stepped up the dad duties in her absence, he found time to hit back at reports that he was “jealous” of Cheryl’s bond with Bear. The 24 year old had confessed in a recent interview that he wasn’t sure where “his place” was after the birth of his son, saying, “A mother and a child is the closest thing ever – you’re close, but you’ll never be as close. Their hearts were beating at the same time at one point… you’re never going to be as close as that. So, a lot of dads feel put out, in that sense. I was desperate to find out what I was meant to do.”
Liam took to Twitter to assure his fans of the meaning behind his statements. “Never once did I use the word jealous. A relationship between a mother and a newborn is the most beautiful thing. I just said I struggled with my place in this… not having the same natural maternal instincts as a mum.”
Liam has been criticised for the amount of time he spends away from Cheryl, 34, and Bear while promoting his music. In March, the singer had to leave Bear’s first birthday in order to fly to a music festival in Japan. The star has also spoken about how difficult he found adapting to being a father, saying, “I think a lot of people struggle. Fatherhood’s different to what I expected.”
While we have yet to catch a glimpse of Bear, Liam did give us an insight into his son’s features. He said, “Sometimes I look at him and he’s like me. But he’s morphing into a lot more of Cheryl’s features now. When he was born, she was like, ‘I carried him for nine months and he’s all bloody you!’”
‘Becoming a dad is difficult’