Cheryl and Bear’s first Christmas without Liam Payne and her desperate plight to help their son

Cheryl is pulling out all the stops to ensure that her son Bear can navigate his first festive period without his father Liam Payne

Liam Payne and Cheryl together in 2016 (
Image: Getty Images for Chopard)

Cheryl is preparing for the first Christmas without Liam Payne, the father of her son Bear, seven.

The 31-year-old One Direction singer died after falling from a third-floor balcony at his hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on October 16th and now former X Factor judge is pulling out all the stops for Bear, who will have his first Christmas Day without his beloved father.

Liam always spent the big day with his son and family and Girls Aloud singer Cheryl is looking to fill the void on what could be a difficult time. Lined up to visit the youngster will be Liam’s parents Karen and Geoff as well as his older sisters.

Cheryl is reportedly working hard to make the day special as their joined grief is expected to be heightened. “It has been a really sad time for Bear and Cheryl… This was the time when Liam would skip over to Cheryl’s and despite them not being together, they would give Bear the most special of days,” a source told the Mail on Sunday.

Cheryl and Liam met when he auditioned on The X Factor ( 
Image:
Dave Benett/Getty Images for Uni)

Liam Payne always spent Christmas Day with his son Bear ( 
Image:
Instagram)

“Wherever Liam was in the world, he’d always make sure to be home to spend Christmas Day with Bear. [Bear] will always have those memories, but now things will be different.”

Cheryl and Liam split in 2018 when Bear was still a toddler but Cheryl has remained close to Liam’s family since their separation. Cheryl’s mother Joan is also close to her grandson and they are all looking to help make this time special for him.

The source added: “Cheryl has gone to great lengths to ensure Liam isn’t forgotten. She has been careful not to spoil Bear, given he is the son of two wealthy people, but this year is going to be tough and everyone wants to see a smile on Bear’s face. He has had an utterly heartbreaking few months.”

This isn’t Cheryl’s first significant loss, as she also mourned the passing of her Girls Aloud bandmate Sarah Harding in 2021. Sarah, who was 39, tragically passed away in September that year after a battle with breast cancer, leaving her loved ones and fans heartbroken. Cheryl later shared how the grief profoundly impacted her life.

She said: “A lot of conversations we had before she left really sparked a different perspective for me, and I’ll carry that. She wasn’t ready to leave and I think, ‘well I’m still here’, I’ve got the gift of life to still live, and I’ll do it with her in mind. It does shift a lot of things in your own heart.”

Speaking toMailOnline, Cheryl went on: “With the loss and our age we just appreciate and love each other so much more. We always have loved each other, obviously. But it’s just different, there’s a different depth to it all now.”