Liam Payne praised matchmaker Simon Cowell for setting him up with Cheryl in sweet 2019 video – as boss’s ‘devastation’ over his death revealed

Liam Payne had Simon Cowell to thank for his relationship with Cheryl after the star revealed it was the X Factor judge who set up the pair.

Speaking to Ant Middleton in a resurfaced clip from their 2019 TV special Straight Talking, the singer confessed that it was Simon who set up the pair after Liam joked to the music mogul that he thought the Girls Aloud star was ‘hot’.

The One Direction star started dating Cheryl in 2016 and their son Bear was born the following year before the couple split in July 2018.

Explaining how the couple got together, Liam revealed he came to Simon’s house for dinner and teased: “Well, I think I know who the next Mrs Payne will be.”

A few weeks later, Liam was in a bar when his bandmate Niall Horan walked in and confessed, “Cheryl has a crush on you.”

The Irish member of the group had been in Simon’s dressing room with Cheryl and a group of others and when Simon said Liam’s name, she apparently “turned bright red and left the room.”

Confirming how their relationship subsequently blossomed, Liam added: ‘So I just called her and when I got back from America we hung out a few times and it just went from there.’

Ant then joked: “So basically Simon Cowell was the matchmaker?”

He gave Cheryl a sweet compliment despite the couple no longer being together, adding: ‘Actually I’ve won X Factor more than anyone else.’

Ant then asked: “Maybe a Cheryl and Liam comeback?” as Liam replied: ‘I don’t know, if she plays her cards right’.

Then he joked, “I’m going to get a spanking for this when I get home.”

Cheryl and Liam went public with their romance in February 2016 after they started dating following her divorce from Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini.

The couple split in July 2018 after a two-and-a-half year romance, but remained amicable co-parents to their son Bear, now seven, who they keep out of the public eye.

Until his death, Liam was in a relationship with Kate Cassidy, whom he started dating in October 2022.

Liam fell from the third floor of a hotel in the Argentine capital Buenos Aires on Wednesday evening, before medics confirmed his death.

Following news of Liam’s death, Simon has paused Britain’s Got Talent auditions and is said to be ‘utterly shocked and devastated’ by the tragedy.

Filming resumes on Saturday with Alesha Dixon, Amanda Holden, KSI and Bruno on the panel as the grieving mogul mourns the pop star’s death.

“This news has hit Simon incredibly hard – he is completely shocked and devastated,” a source told The Sun.

A spokesperson for Freemantle UK, the programme’s producer, announced yesterday that they were suspending auditions for Britain’s Got Talent.

Their statement read: ‘Due to the tragic passing of Liam Payne, we have decided to postpone the auditions for Britain’s Got Talent. Our thoughts are with Liam’s friends, family and all who loved him.”

An insider told DailyMail.com: ‘Simon is devastated by the Liam news.

“Simon has a son who he loves more than anything, and essentially the guys from One Direction were his first set of sons, he spent so much time with them, and he loves them all.

“This is a tragedy and there are so many emotions going through him right now.”

Footage of the resurfaced clip comes after Simon found himself in the line of fire from former X Factor contestants Katie Waissel and Rebecca Ferguson, who criticized the ‘exploitation and profiteering of young stars’.

Simon faced backlash when Katie, who auditioned alongside Liam in the 2010 X Factor series, blasted the music mogul in two statements, accusing music bosses of focusing on ‘profits rather than people’ concentrate.

She took to Twitter to reveal her heartbreak, writing: ‘My heart is completely torn to shreds right now, I’m at a loss for words.

“If Simon Cowell dared to make a statement about the heartbreaking, tragic loss of my dear friend Liam, he would be a fool. We all know the truth… and I’m sure it will all come out.

She later released a lengthy statement addressing her views on the state of the music industry.

She wrote that Liam’s death is “a painful reminder of the systemic neglect that continues in the industry,” she stressed: “the focus remained on profits and not people.”

Meanwhile, Rebecca Ferguson, who appeared on X Factor alongside Liam in 2010, reflected how she first met Liam at Euston station when they shared a taxi to the would live.

‘I have been speaking out for years about the exploitation and profiteering of young stars and its consequences – many of us are still living with the aftermath and PTSD [post traumatic stress disorder].’