Liam Payne's fatherhood fears as Bear 'ruined relationship with Cheryl for right reasons'

Liam Payne leaves behind his seven-year-old son Bear, who he shared with ex-girlfriend Cheryl, following his tragic death after falling from a balcony in Argentina aged 31

Liam Payne once opened up about the realities of becoming a young dad at just 23 with his former partner Cheryl. The ex One Direction member, who has sadly died aged 31, and Girls Aloud star Cheryl become parents to son Bear back in 2017, before deciding to split the following year.

In a heartfelt chat in 2022, Liam shared how despite his continued career demands, he always prioritised time with his son. Reflecting on becoming a father, he said: "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."

He went on to say that the life change had impacted his relationship but believed it was for the best reasons, stating: "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," reports the Manchester Evening News.

During an appearance on the Impaulsive podcast, Liam detailed those initial moments after his son's birth: "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."

Facing the challenges without prior experience with babies, he described the daunting yet precious first day, adding: "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."

Despite splitting from Cheryl in 2018 after a two-year relationship, Liam shared that they remained amicable and committed to co-parenting. Liam reportedly yearned for a new beginning with his son Bear and ex Cheryl before facing this heartbreaking loss.

Look: Liam Payne life in pictures after star dies aged of 31

In March, the singer melted fans' hearts by posting an adorable picture of Bear on Instagram, where the youngster is seen gazing at a billboard featuring his dad's newest musical project. The caption said: "I want to be on a billboard one day, Daddy."