Liam Payne and Cheryl relationship timeline and what One Direction star 'wanted to prove' to her before death

They met on the X Factor, first crossing paths in 2008. But the relationship between then teenager Liam Payne and former judge Cheryl didn't blossom until much later.

One Direction star Payne, who shot to fame when he re-auditioned for the UK singing competition in 2010 after being rejected two years earlier, tragically died aged 31 on Wednesday (October 16).

Police in Argentina said the star fell from the third floor into the courtyard of the Casa Sur Hotel in the Palermo neighbourhood where he was staying.

READ MORE Liam Payne hoped for fresh start with son Bear alongside Cheryl before his tragic death

Before his death, it is reported that Payne had reunited with ex-girlfriend Cheryl to co-parent their beloved son Bear - with sources saying he 'wanted to prove to Cheryl that he's getting his life together'. The pair had one son together before splitting up in 2018.

Liam had first met Cheryl when he was just 14, auditioning for The X Factor, but it was not until 2016 - some eight years later - that their romance became public.

2008: X Factor audition

In 2008, Payne auditioned to be on UK TV singing competition the X Factor for the first time at age 14. Cheryl was one of the judges alongside Simon Cowell, Dannii Minogue and Louis Walsh.

Cheryl was seen grinning as the then teenager sang Frank Sinatra's Fly Me To The Moon, as she told him he was 'really cute' and that he 'had charisma'. He made it through to the Judge's Houses stage before being sent home by mogul Simon Cowell.

2010: Second X Factor audition

Two years after his first rejection, Payne returned to the show where Cheryl was still a judge. After belting out Cry Me A River, admitting he was 'ready to give it another shot', Cheryl commented: "You've definitely got it, whatever it is you've got it. And I thought your voice was really, really powerful."

At the bootcamp stage Liam then joined forces with four other boys Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson and One Direction was created.

2015 and 2016: Rumours of blossoming relationship

In December of 2015, rumours began to circulate that the pair first felt a spark during the X Factor final. Band One Direction performed and Cheryl and Liam both shared a hug on stage.

Eyewitnesses also claimed to have seen the pair flirting, around two months Payne posted a picture to Instagram of a red rose, captioned: "Happy Valentine's Day baby", shortly after Cheryl had filed for divorce from ex-husband Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini.

2016: Red carpet debut

The couple made their red carpet debut at the Global Gift Gala in Paris, France. Cheryl had been honoured with the Global Gift Philanthropist Award.

Payne took to X, formerly Twitter, to congratulate her about her achievement, with a selfie of him and Cheryl with her award, as he penned: "So proud of her tonight. Such a special award #GlobalGiftGala."

They had also been seen holding hands leaving a London restaurant and attending a casino in Mayfair earlier that year, and at the 69th the Cannes Film Festival in May.

2017: Couple welcome son Bear

After around a year of dating, the couple welcomed their son Bear. Their son’s birth was a highlight for Payne, who said, “I’m completely in awe of his incredible mother.”

“On Wednesday 22nd March Liam and I became parents to an incredibly beautiful, healthy baby boy," Cole posted to Instagram. “Although he still doesn’t have a name 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 around the world. A day that now has a different meaning to me forever."

2018: Cheryl and Liam split

It came just months after rumours of the pair getting engaged that Payne shared that he and Cheryl had split up.

He posted to X: “Cheryl and I are sad to announce that we are going our separate ways. It’s been a tough decision for us to make. We still have so much love for each other as a family. Bear is our world and we ask that you respect his privacy as we navigate our way through this together.”

2019: Couple open up on coparenting son

Less than one year after their split, Cheryl opened up about how she and Payne were tackling coparenting. After their break up, Liam had been seen with Bear only occasionally over the past seven years.

“[Liam is] much softer than me. But it is what it is, and I’m OK about it,” Cheryl told the Telegraph. “When you have a baby, you are not consumed with just thinking about yourself. It’s your responsibility to keep things settled and happy, so you make the best of everything. And we have.”

When news of their split emerged, many speculated Liam had cheated, but the hitmaker dismissed the rumours, and bravely confessed they had split because he struggled with fatherhood.

Speaking on the Ant Middleton and Liam Payne: Straight Talking documentary in 2019, he said becoming a dad at such a young age was a “difficult thing”, and said he had begun to overthink his responsibilities. “And I think I built fatherhood up so much in my head that it kind of messed me up to start with. I started in a bad place with it,” he continued.

2020: Payne pens tribute to Cheryl on Mother's Day

In honour of Mother’s Day, Payne penned a touching tribute to Cheryl on social media, two years after their split.

He posted to X: “Double special day today thanks to two very special ladies and a very special little man. Happy Mother’s Day mum and Cheryl you two are the most amazing mothers Bear and I could have asked for, thanks for raising me right and thank you Cheryl for showing my son all the love in the world.”

2022: Payne praises Cheryl for being 'best mum in the world'

In a podcast interview in June 2022, Liam described Bear as 'a lovely, lovely boy' and praised his ex-partner, saying, "She is the best mum in the world, I couldn't ask for someone better."

Nevertheless, he confessed that Bear's arrival 'ruined' his relationship with Cheryl 'for all the right reasons'.

In an interview with US YouTuber Logan Paul he touched on the breakdown of his relationship after having Bear. He shared: "To be honest with you, it ruined a relationship at that point – but for all the right reasons. I was so excited for him to be born that I was actually worried if I wouldn't love him enough."

Discussing the relationship he had with his son, Liam added: "I take my son to school one or two times a week and it's the best thing. The relationship we [him and Cheryl] have now as friends has only grown more. We broke up for a reason and now she gives me full autonomy of my life and to do what I do and I know he's [Bear's] taken care of. He is all she cares about and I couldn't ask for more."

2024: Liam Payne hoped for fresh start with son Bear alongside Cheryl

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.

"We don't see a lot of Bear on Liam's social media but I think he wants to prove to Cheryl that he's getting his life together," said the source.