Liam Payne and his ex Cheryl Cole They met for the first time in 2008, but did not begin their romance until much later.
In 2008, Payne participated for the first time in X Factor at 14 years old. Cole was one of the judges along with Simon Cowell, Danny Minogue and Louis Walsh.
“Let’s talk about the elephant in the room,” Payne said while reviewing his first audition in a segment for esquire in May 2020. “Obviously, my son’s future mother is sitting in that chair. This is now an episode of ‘How I Met Your Mother’so I think that’s enough.”
Although Payne was eliminated the first time, he returned to the show two years later, where Cole was still on the jury. He became a member of One Directionwhich went on to make boy band history.
Despite knowing each other during those early years, the connection between Cole and Payne did not become romantic until almost a decade later. The couple were first linked in 2016 after Cole’s split from her ex-husband Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini.
The following year, Cole and Payne welcomed their first child, Bear. In July 2018, Payne and Cole ended their relationship. The couple remained friendly while sharing guardianship of their son Bear.
In October 2024, Us Weekly confirmed that Payne died at age 31 after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Read on for a summary of the timeline of Payne and Cole’s relationship:
2008
At his hearing X FactorPayne sang ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ by Frank Sinatra. As he sang the ballad, he winked at Cole. After completing his performance, Cole praised his talent and said he was “really cute.” Payne advanced to the next round but was eliminated by Cowell in the ‘Judges’ Houses’.
2010
Two years after his first elimination, Payne returned to the show where Cole was still a part of the jury. He became a member of ‘One Direction‘ next to Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik.
December 2015
Cole and Payne met in the finals of X Factor where ‘One Direction’ acted. The couple shared a hug on stage.
February 2016
A month after Cole filed for divorce from Fernandez-Versini, rumors surfaced that she and Payne were dating.
May 2016
They made their debut as a couple on the red carpet at the Global Gift Gala in Paris. Cole was honored with the Global Philanthropist Award. Payne posted on X to praise his achievement.
“So proud of her tonight 😘😘such a special award #GlobalGiftGala,” he wrote in a selfie with Cole and his prize.
March 2017
After a year of dating, the couple announced that they welcomed their son, Bear.
“On Wednesday March 22nd Liam and I became parents to an incredibly beautiful and healthy baby boy, weighing 3.5kg and looking like a dream,” Cole wrote on Instagram at the time. “Although he doesn’t have a name yet, he is already stealing hearts. We are all madly in love and overwhelmingly happy with our little arrival. Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers in the world. A day that now has a different meaning for me forever 💙.”
Payne shared his own announcement, excited to become a father.
“My close friends and family know that there are very few times when I am speechless… wow! “I am incredibly happy to welcome our new baby into the world,” she wrote. “It’s a moment I will never forget for the rest of my life and my favorite memory so far. “I am completely in awe of her amazing mother and how she has been throughout this whole process, she has truly made my dreams come true.”
July 2018
Payne shared that he and Cole ended their relationship after two years of dating.
“Cheryl and I are sad to announce that we are separating. “It has been a difficult decision for us to make,” he wrote on X. “We still have a lot of love for each other as a family. “Bear is our world and we ask that you respect his privacy as we navigate this together.”
April 2019
Less than a year after their split, Cole opened up about how she and Payne were approaching guardianship of their son.
“Liam is much softer than me. But it is what it is, and I’m fine with that,” he said in an interview with The Telegraph. “When you have a baby, you’re not just thinking about yourself. It’s your responsibility to keep things calm and happy, so you make the best of everything. And we have achieved it.”
May 2019
The following month, Payne exclusively told ‘Us’ that although Bear is well behaved, he has his moments.
“Sometimes he tries to scold his mom and I tell him, ‘Bear, stop,’” she said. “Today he just didn’t want to listen to me. …He just wants to shut me up with his hand. It’s like, ‘Give me a minute. I’m busy.’”
December 2019
As Payne continued on with Maya Henryshared that he planned to spend the holidays with Cole and his son.
“I’m going to go see Bear, maybe cook Christmas dinner and just spend time with the family,” Payne said on the show. ITV. “I like doing Sunday roasts. It brings you back to normal. “Let’s go down and cook good food and hang out.”
March 2020
In honor of UK Mother’s Day, Payne wrote a touching tribute to Cole.
“Double special day today thanks to two very special ladies and a very special little man,” he wrote on well and thank you Cheryl for showing my son all the love in the world.”
July 2023
Payne spoke candidly about how much he appreciated having Cole and Bear by his side while he took a break from the public eye.
“More than anything, I want to thank him and his mother for giving me a little bit of freedom to go and recover at that time because I had to. There’s no point in trying to be a father when you have nothing to teach and I don’t think up until this point I really had much to say to him other than to care deeply for him and love him deeply, which is obviously the most important thing.”