Liam Payne claimed having Bear 'ruined Cheryl relationship for right reasons'

Liam Payne once shared his honest thoughts about becoming a dad for the first time aged just 23, with his ex-partner Cheryl.

The former One Direction star has tragically died in Argentina after a fall from the third floor of a hotel. He leaves behind eight-year-old son Bear, who he had with the Girls Aloud star before they split in 2018.

Opening up about fatherhood in 2022, Liam, 31, said while his son lived with Cheryl full-time, as he continued with his career, he made sure he was always there for him.

He explained: "I put my time in with my son and I also like to speak to people who are new dads also because you don't know what's coming and it's different.

"And, you know, to be honest with you, it ruined a relationship for me at that point but for all the right reasons, and it's like you think kids are a blank page [when] they're born.

"When Bear was first born I was so excited for him to be born, but I thought, what if I don't love him enough? It was such a worry for me."

He added on the Impaulsive podcast: "His mum had haemorrhaged quite badly at first so she was asleep for the whole day so for the first 24 hours of his life, I was 23 with a baby in a room and I had to take care of it.

"And, I didn't even have any baby sisters or anything. It was very fun but the end of the night finished with me with a pre-stage controller [and] my little boy on my arm. "

Liam and Cheryl split after two years together in 2018, but remained friends and co-parented.

He reportedly hoped for a fresh start with Bear and Cheryl before this tragic death.

In March, Liam Payne warmed hearts by sharing a sweet snap of his son Bear on Instagram. The photo showed the little one in a bright yellow jacket, admiring a billboard with his dad's latest music venture.

The caption read: "I want to be on a billboard one day, Daddy."

An insider had revealed that following his split from Cheryl and personal struggles, including stints in rehab and battles with mental health, Liam was keen for a fresh start, as OK! magazine reports.