Simon Cowell has spoken about Cheryl’s break-up with Liam Payne for the first time, having previously helped bring them together.
Simon, 58, has so far kept quiet about the couple’s split but has now broken his silence in a new interview.
Speaking to The Mirror, the X Factor mogul said that he believes their relationship was always supposed to happen – irrespective of whether it lasted the distance – because of the couple’s son Bear, now one.
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He has also confirmed that he has spoken to 35-year-old Cheryl in the wake of the news.
Simon told the newspaper: “I was talking to Cheryl about this, it’s destiny, you look at the kids and why would you want to change anything else.”
The news of their split still must have been a blow for Simon, as he previously credited himself for getting them together.
Although they had first met when Liam was aged just 14 and Cheryl was a judge on The X Factor, apparently it was thanks to Simon and Liam’s bandmate Niall Horan that they eventually got together.
Last year, during an appearance on The Graham Norton Show, Liam said he had previously confided in Simon that he fancied Cheryl.
The 24-year-old explained: “Weeks and months went by and then Niall said, ‘You’ll never guess who fancies you!’
“Apparently he had been with Cheryl when Simon told her that I fancied her – she had turned bright red and left the room.”
In another interview, with Radio 1Xtra, he added: “I was saying something about Cheryl one night in [Simon’s] house, and he was like, ‘I think I know who is going to be the future Mrs Payne’, and I was like, ‘Who are you on about?’
“He was like, ‘I’m not telling you, you’ll have to wait and see’.”
Cheryl and Liam announced their split on July 1, 2018, both releasing statements on their Twitter accounts.
In a heartfelt post, Cheryl said: “We 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.”
Liam’s message was the same, however he began his with: “Cheryl and I are sad to announce that we are going our separate ways.”
The couple had been together for two-and-a-half years.
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