Inside Cheryl and Bear’s first Christmas without Liam: Friends reveal how his family are rallying round, the ‘great lengths’ Cheryl is going to… and what’s happened to ex-girlfriend Kate Cassidy to KATIE HIND

For much of Bear Payne’s life, his beloved father Liam was a constant globetrotter, traveling the world, determined to make his solo artists success. But no matter the distance Liam had to travel, there was always one time of the year when he made sure he was home to see his son: Christmas Day.

The pair tore open presents before enjoying a festive dinner and braving the cold to play with the singer’s giant toy dinosaurs he kept in his garden.

Then imagine the sadness that Bear, just seven years old, will wake up on Christmas morning this year without his beloved father present.

Liam died in October when he fell from a third-floor balcony of a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was 31.

The void is one that Bear’s mother, former Girls Aloud singer Cheryl Tweedy, has done her utmost to fill.

I can reveal the 41-year-old has pulled out all the stops to help Bear remember his dad and the many happy times they had together – and make new memories as they deal with deep grief.

Cheryl is determined that Bear’s face will light up on Christmas morning. All his loved ones will be visiting over the holidays, including the Payne family – Liam’s parents Karen and Geoff and the star’s older sisters.

“It was a very sad time for Bear and Cheryl,” said a source close to the Payne family. “Cheryl has said it herself, but she is trying to come to terms with her son losing his father and that means there will be many milestones to come, the first of which is Christmas.

‘This was when Liam would transfer to Cheryl’s and even though they weren’t together, they would give Bear the most special days.

‘No matter where Liam was in the world, he always made sure he was home to spend Christmas Day with Bear. [Bear] I will always have those memories, but now things will be different.”

Despite splitting from Liam in 2018, when Bear was still a toddler, Cheryl has remained close to her ex’s family. She has kept in touch with the former One Direction star’s parents and his sisters Ruth and Nicola – although she is said to be closer to the former.

Bear, who turns eight in March, also gets on well with Ruth and Nicola’s children, and this year they are all coming together.

Also expected is Cheryl’s mother Joan, who is spending a lot of time with her grandson as she travels from Newcastle to Cheryl’s home in Buckinghamshire.

Bear will also see the sons of Cheryl’s best friend and fellow Girls Aloud member Kimberley Walsh at some point: Bobby, seven, Cole, five, and Nate, three.

Liam always made sure he was home every Christmas Day with Bear, pictured as a baby

“Cheryl has gone to great lengths to ensure Liam is not forgotten,” the source added. “She has been careful not to spoil Bear as he is the son of two rich people, but this year is going to be tough and everyone wants to see a smile on Bear’s face. He’s had a heartbreaking few months.”

Bear – who stands to inherit the £30million his father earned during his boy band years – won’t be spoiled too much. I’m told that Cheryl’s sensible parenting has turned Bear into an ‘adorably sweet and polite’ little boy.

However, Liam was far from a traditional father and he himself acknowledged that he was more ‘rock and roll’. Although he called Bear regularly and certainly did not shy away from parental responsibility, he was rarely present in person.

Christmas, however, was different, and those who knew Liam described him as always being a ‘big kid’ during the holidays.

That tendency only became more apparent when Bear came along. In 2019, when Bear was two, Liam said: ‘It’s the first time [Bear] really gets Christmas now. However, I do want to see if he will actually open presents this year, otherwise it will just be Cheryl at the tree again.

‘I remember it very well from last year. She packed them all up and then unpacked them, and I just sat there going, “Okay, what is this?” Cheryl – who first met Liam when he auditioned for The X Factor in 2009 – has been described as the ‘matriarch’ by Liam’s circle since his untimely death. She played a key role in organizing his funeral and was a true comfort to the late star’s loved ones.

“Some might think that’s a bit strange considering they broke up so long ago,” a friend tells me.

‘But it’s all for Bear. She is determined that he will receive the best possible upbringing and also supports those who need it.”

However, one person who won’t be attending the Christmas celebrations is Liam’s girlfriend, Kate Cassidy.

The 25-year-old, an American influencer, had been dating Liam for two years but it is thought she and Bear never met.

The first time she met Liam’s parents was said to have been at his funeral.

“Liam’s family didn’t really know Kate,” says an insider with knowledge of Liam’s final months. ‘She was with Liam and they knew her, but they were often abroad.

‘Kate is going to the US for Christmas, she is devastated and needs her own family now.’ Meanwhile, questions continue to haunt the Payne family over the last few weeks of Liam’s life, causing him to become increasingly out of control and depressed. A post-mortem examination revealed alcohol, cocaine and prescription antidepressants in his system.

Three people have been charged in connection with his death, two for supplying narcotics and another for abandonment of a person followed by death.

A source said: ‘It is difficult for the family to think about the last weeks of his life in Argentina. It all got quite grimy and sad.

‘It’s disastrous for them. Things became very difficult for him and they feel that Liam was abandoned.

“It’s not surprising that they want to keep fond memories of him, which is what Bear stands for.”