Cheryl is preparing for her first Christmas with her son Bear since the death of his father Liam Payne.
The X Factor judge has remained tight-lipped in the aftermath of the former One Direction star’s shock death aged 31, but she has previously opened up about their Christmas traditions as a family.
© Matt Baron/ShutterstockBack in 2018, she sat down for an interview with Hits Radio and discussed her then-one-year-old’s “nerves” about one classic festive activity ahead of his second Christmas.
“This time he’ll be able to appreciate [Christmas] a little bit more I think,” she began, before adding: “People have asked me if I’m going to take him to see Father Christmas but I still think he’d be a little bit of a worried, ‘Who’s this guy with the long beard?’ phase at the moment.
© Instagram“A bit nervous, so I don’t know if I’ll do that. But I’ll tell [Bear] he’s got him all those gifts and he’ll be able to rip them open and it’ll be cute this year,” added the doting mother, who dated Liam from 2016 to 2018.
Aside from opening presents, Cheryl said her plans for the festive season included plenty of quality time with her loved ones. “Love a bit of family time. Love a Christmas movie with the family,” she said.
Liam’s Christmas with Bear
© InstagramMeanwhile, Liam opened up the following year about cooking food and opening presents with his ex and their son.
“I’m going to go down and see Bear, maybe cook a Christmas dinner and just hang out with family,” the ‘Best Song Ever’ singer said on This Morning in 2019.
He revealed that Cheryl’s hopes for Bear to open presents in 2018 did not go to plan. “I think it’s the first time he really gets Christmas now. I want to see if he actually gets unwrapping presents this year though, because otherwise, it’ll just be Cheryl by the tree again,” he joked.
© Liam Payne“I can really remember it from last year, she wrapped them all up and then unwrapped them and I just sat there going, ‘Right, what is this?””
Aged seven, Bear will now be able to appreciate both his visits to Father Christmas and his gifts under the tree. However, he will be missing spending time with his late father, who died after falling from the third floor of the Casa Sur Hotel in Argentina on 16 October.
Cheryl’s grief
© InstagramGirls Aloud singer Cheryl released a powerful statement following Liam’s “earth shattering” death asking for the family’s privacy to grieve their loss.
Alongside a black-and-white photo of Liam in bed with their newborn son, Cheryl wrote: “As I try to navigate this earth shattering event, and work through my own grief at this indescribably painful time, I’d like to kindly remind everyone that we have lost a human being.
“Liam was not only a pop star and celebrity, he was a son, a brother, an uncle, a dear friend and a father to our 7 year old son. A son that now has to face the reality of never seeing his father again.
“What is troubling my spirit the most is that one day Bear will have access to the abhorrent reports and media exploitation we have seen in the past few days. It is breaking my heart further that I cannot protect him from that in the future.
“I am begging you to consider what use some of these reports are serving, other than to cause further harm to everyone left behind picking up the pieces. Before you leave comments or make videos, ask yourself if you would like your own child or family to read them.”
Cheryl concluded: “Please give Liam the little dignity he has left in the wake of his death to rest in some peace at last. Thank you, Cheryl.”
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