He may be the most important person in Cheryl Cole’s life, but her young son Bear Payne may be the least seen – at least until recently.
Grainy footage from Instagram shows Cheryl walking hand-in-hand in a tracksuit with Bear, her only child with ex-boyfriend Liam Payne, as she stares out at the empty venue.
As always, the child’s face was hidden from view, in accordance with the singer’s wish to protect his anonymity – a tradition she has strictly maintained since his birth.
Either way, devoted fans have seen – and heard – plenty to recognise from the young man, from his rapid growth spurt to his ever-changing hairstyles and signature Geordie accent.
He may be the most important person in Cheryl Cole’s life, but his young son Bear Payne is still the least seen – at least until recently, when fans saw him on stage with the singer in Sheffield
It all started in 2008, when fresh-faced 14-year-old Liam Payne queued up with thousands of other candidates to audition for X Factor judges Simon Cowell, Sharon Osbourne, Louis Walsh and 24-year-old Cheryl
Cheryl welcomed her son and revealed his unconventional name on March 22, 2017, with fans getting their first glimpse of the baby cradled in his father’s arms shortly after.
It all started in 2008, when fresh-faced 14-year-old Liam queued up with thousands of other applicants to audition for X Factor judges Simon Cowell, Sharon Osbourne, Louis Walsh and 24-year-old Cheryl.
A mischievous wink brought a beaming smile from the judges, but couldn’t prevent him from losing his place on the show.
But he would soon return and, with the support of One Direction, enjoy a worldwide adulation not seen since Beatlemania.
The band returned to The X Factor in 2015 for a live performance and just months later, Liam and Cheryl confirmed that they were in a relationship.
Cheryl kept her fans in the dark for months before confirming her pregnancy in the most public way possible: during a L’Oréal photoshoot, where she posed in a tight-fitting black dress and covered her belly.
The singer welcomed her son and revealed his unconventional name on March 22, 2017. Fans got their first glimpse of the baby cradled in his father’s arms shortly after.
Since then, Bear has made occasional appearances on his mother’s social media. In posts shared by the singer in 2018 and 2019, the young man showed off a trendy bun.
In one of the photos, he is seen wearing Beats headphones and turning his face away from the camera, revealing his tousled brown hair loosely tied back with a headband.
Since then, Bear has made occasional appearances on his mother’s social media, with the youngster sporting a trendy bun in posts the singer shared in 2018 and 2019.
Cheryl took to Instagram to share a snap of herself walking hand-in-hand with her son through Lapland UK in 2019
In 2019, Girls Aloud band member Kimberley Walsh revealed that her two sons had formed a bond with Cheryl’s then two-year-old son.
The Girls Aloud star shared a glimpse of the rarely seen toddler on Instagram during a magical day out in Lapland, UK.
Kimberly posted a photo of Bobby, Cole and Bear facing each other as they watched a festive show.
Cheryl also shared a snap on Instagram as she enjoyed the festivities in Lapland UK. The singer wore a bright red winter coat and walked hand in hand with her son.
Girls Aloud bandmate Kimberly Walsh posted a photo of her sons Bobby and Cole with Bear as they watched a celebratory show together.
Kimberley revealed that her two sons bonded with Cheryl’s son, then two years old
In 2019, Cheryl gave fans a glimpse inside her home, showing off Bear’s very own Christmas tree (left), with his head just visible (right)
Cheryl also showed off their Christmas pajamas as they prepared to celebrate the holidays
Cheryl also shared the first video of her talking son Bear when she posted a funny update to her Instagram Stories amid the coronavirus pandemic.
In the clip, the toddler resembles his famous mum, who was born and raised in Newcastle, and speaks in a sweet Geordie accent.
Bear hilariously interrupts Cheryl’s video as she praises the NHS workers, with the three-year-old asking for food and to go to the park.
Months later, the singer gave her fans a little sneak peek at her baby boy, filling her home with lavish decorations and picking out matching elf-inspired outfits for herself and Bear to wear on Christmas.
In an adorable photo Cheryl shared to her Instagram Story in 2019, she declared, “Santa, we are ready,” as she shared a snapshot of the outfits she had laid out for herself and Bear.
The following year, Cheryl shared a sweet and hilarious festive voice recording of her son Bear on Instagram Stories on Tuesday.
He bases himself on a text from the festive classic Home Alne and says to his followers: ‘Merry Christmas, you filthy animals, and a happy new year.’
At the end of the message you could hear the singer giggling.
In 2023, Bear was back on his mother’s Instagram network as she celebrated her 40th birthday with friends and family
In 2023, Bear was back on his mother’s Instagram account, as she celebrated her 40th birthday with friends and family.
Cheryl was joined by her mother Joan, EastEnders actor and 2:22 A Ghost Story colleague Jake Wood, and her Girls Aloud bandmates; Nicola Roberts, Nadine Coyle and Kimberley Walsh.
Kimberley brought along her husband Justin Scott and their three sons Bobby, Cole and Nate.
Cheryl uploaded an adorable video of Bear hugging Joan after the group tried their hand at axe throwing.
In another photo, Bear was dressed in a suit and looked out at the fire with Kimberley’s eldest son Bobby, in preparation for Cheryl’s birthday dinner.
Cheryl also shared the first video of her son Bear talking when she posted a funny update to her Instagram Stories
Dad Liam has also shared photos of Bear, including one where Bear’s face is covered as he stares at a billboard in London’s Leicester Square promoting the former One Direction star’s single Teardrops.
He captioned the photo: “I want to be on a billboard someday, dad.”
Fans immediately responded to the comments and couldn’t believe how fast Bear had grown.
Evidence of the child’s growth was also confirmed in a short TikTok video featuring Liam and Bear, who wears a black hooded shirt that hides his features as he walks next to his father.
Earlier this year, Bear’s father Liam posted a rare photo of his son on Instagram, covering his face as he showed the little one a billboard in Leicester Square advertising his new single.
Evidence of the child’s growth was also confirmed in a short TikTok video featuring Liam and Bear, who wears a black hoodie that hides his features as he walks alongside his father