Former One Direction singer Liam Payne and his ex-girlfriend Cheryl Cole welcomed their son Bear Gray on March 22, 2017. Since then, the former flames have given fans a glimpse into his life with adorable photos shared via social media.

Although they’ve made the decision to keep their son’s face out of the public eye for now, both Liam and Cheryl have opened up over the years about what it was like becoming parents. “I’m incredibly happy to welcome our new baby boy into the world, it’s a moment that I will never forget for the rest of my life and my favorite memory I have so far,” the “Strip That Down” crooner wrote on Instagram following Bear’s birth. “I’m completely in awe of his incredible mother and how she has been the whole way through this, she’s really made my dreams come true.”

Liam and Cheryl first started dating in 2016, and more than two years later announced their split in June 2018. Despite their breakup, the pair has stayed in contact while coparenting their son. In fact, during the British singer’s 2019 documentary, Liam Payne: Straight TalkingLiam called his ex “one of the most, if not the most, important people in my life.”

He also gushed about Cheryl during an interview with Glamour U.K. in April 2021. “Cheryl is literally the best person to coparent with. No stress involved. It’s very, very relaxed, and we spend a lot of time on FaceTime,” he gushed. “It’s been really lovely, and I’m closer to them than I’ve ever been before, actually, which is really, really nice.”

Liam has also revealed that he often gets fatherly advice from fellow former 1D member Louis Tomlinson, who has a son of his own. “He phones me up every so often. It’s great hearing from another dad who is also outside of the situation and has to go visit and go in and out [due to work],” he told Access in April 2020. “It’s interesting hearing the dynamic of his situation. His son’s a tiny bit older than mine, so I get a lot of lessons and different things from him.”

Amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Liam told People in May 2020 that he was able to chat with Bear via FaceTime. “I FaceTimed him before and he was on a trampoline in a princess dress with a pair of Wellington shoes on playing the ukulele,” he said at the time. “And then other times he’s so interested in SpongeBob that his mom will be like, ‘Say hi to Daddy,’ and he’s like, ‘Hi, Daddy.’ And then he’s back in SpongeBob. It’s so funny.”

When it came to seeing his son during the lockdown period, Liam explained, “I just don’t know if it’s worth the risk.” But according to one of his Instagram Livestreams, the musician was able to reunite with his son in January 2021! “I went and saw Bear today. We had a little hangout, which was quite nice,” Liam said at the time. “I hadn’t seen him in a couple of weeks. It’s hard with the COVID thing because I

have to make sure that I’m negative before I go over and see him.”

Liam shared a rare update on Bear in July 2023, telling fans that his son is “growing up far too quickly,” during a YouTube video at the time.

“He’s far more smarter than I think I’ll ever be,” Liam added. “He’s a wonder, but he’s definitely learning to talk at this moment in time and it’s a lot of fun to be around to watch him grow.”

Click through our gallery to see all the pictures of Liam and Cheryl’s son Bear. 

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