Liam Payne has been pictured with his ex Cheryl for the first time in three years, following his split from fiancée Maya Henry.
The pair reunited to attend a first birthday party for Liam’s niece in Wolverhampton on Wednesday and seemed in good spirits as they chatted away together.
The former flames split in 2018 following a two and a half year romance, but have remained amicable while co-parenting their four-year-old son Bear.
Reunited: Liam Payne was pictured with his ex Cheryl for the first time in three years on Wednesday, following his split from fiancee Maya Henry
Cheryl, 37, looked stylish on the outing as she paired a grey sleeveless hoodie with a lilac maxi skirt and heeled white boots.
Liam, 27, opted for a low-key ensemble in a black Balenciaga hoodie and shorts.
Despite their close relationship, the couple have kept their friendship relatively low-key, although Liam did recently discuss his strong bond with his ex.
Former flames: The pair reunited to attend a first birthday party for Liam’s niece in Wolverhampton on Wednesday and seemed in good spirits as they chatted away together
Still friends: They have remained amicable following their split in 2018 as they remain committed to co-parenting their four-year-old son Bear
Strong bond: Despite their close relationship, the couple have kept their friendship relatively low-key, although Liam did recently discuss his strong bond with his ex
Back in April, Liam said: ‘Cheryl is literally the best person to co-parent with. No stress involved. It’s very, very relaxed, and we spend a lot of time on FaceTime.
‘And it’s been really lovely, and I’m closer to them than I’ve ever been before, actually, which is really, really nice.
‘But bedtime FaceTime can go really well sometimes. Or I bought him some toys yesterday that I showed them on the FaceTime and it was like I had to go and travel over and hand the toys over the fence!’
Chic: Cheryl, 37, looked stylish on the outing as she paired a grey sleeveless hoodie with a lilac maxi skirt and heeled white boots
Low-key: Liam, 27, opted for a low-key ensemble in a black Balenciaga hoodie and shorts
Stepping out in style: The pair seemed in good spirits as they chatted away while leaving the party
Cheryl and Liam began dating in 2015, but first met seven years prior.
Cheryl was 24 when a then 14-year-old Liam first auditioned for the X Factor back in 2008, but despite his tender years, cheeky Liam was full of confidence as he gave his future love a cheeky wink.
In a clip of their first meeting, Cheryl calls the musician ‘really cute,’ some seven years before they struck up their relationship.
Delightful duo: Liam and Cheryl chatted away while taking their belongings home
On the move: The pair were seen packing up their belongings in the car before heading home
Liam and Cheryl came initially face-to-face two years before he returned to the show as a solo singer in 2010 and was one of the finalists chosen form one fifth of the boyband 1D.
In the clip, Cheryl is seen turning to the panel with a nod of the head and raised eyebrows as her future beau sings Fly Me To The Moon, before Liam looks at her and accompanies the lyrics ‘In other words, baby kiss me’ with a confident wink.
Seemingly impressed by his potential when he first sang for the judges, Cheryl’s feedback gushed: ‘I think you’re really cute, I think you’ve got charisma, you know you give us that little cheeky wink.’
Expressive: The pair were seen catching up with friends and Liam’s family on the outing
Back in April, Liam said: ‘Cheryl is literally the best person to co-parent with. No stress involved. It’s very, very relaxed, and we spend a lot of time on FaceTime’
Liam reached the Boot Camp stage of the competition, before being kicked out of the competition by Boys’ category mentor Simon just ahead of the Live Shows.
During Cheryl’s third stint on the singing competition, in 2010, a familiar face returned, this time as a 16-year-old Liam, who wowed the judges with his performance of Julie London’s Cry Me A River.
After listening to his first-round audition that year, Cheryl gushed again: ‘You’ve definitely got it, whatever “it” is, you’ve got it. I thought your voice was really, really powerful.’
Cheryl ran in the same circles ever since, with Liam going on to achieve international stardom with bandmates Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik but returning regularly for visits to the show that made him famous.
The pair’s romance is said to have started in December 2015 when they got reacquainted at the X Factor final, which he attended with Harry, Louis and Niall.
Cheryl and Liam went public with their romance in February 2016 after being spotted together in a supermarket in Guildford, Surrey – welcoming son Bear in March 2017.
They went their separate ways in July 2018 following a two and a half year romance.
The pair have remained civil since their split, with the hunk even insisting he would be not sure what he and son Bear would do without single Cheryl in a sweet Mother’s Day post.
Their outing comes after Liam confirmed his split from Texan model Maya, 21, earlier this month.
It’s over: The outing comes after Liam confirmed his split from Texan model Maya, 21, earlier this month (last pictured together in September 2020)
Liam confirmed the split in a podcast, telling Steven Barlett on Diary of a CEO that he needed to ‘work on himself’ but that he felt upset at ‘hurting’ Maya.
The couple confirmed their engagement in August 2020 after Liam popped the question during lockdown with a £3 million ring.
The pair were first linked back in August 2018 shortly after Liam’s high-profile split from Cheryl.
First meeting: Cheryl was 24 when a then 14-year-old Liam first auditioned for the X Factor back in 2008, but despite his tender years, cheeky Liam was full of confidence
Confirming that he is now single, Liam said on the podcast: ‘I feel like more than anything at this point, I’m more disappointed in myself that I keep on hurting people.
‘That annoys me. I’ve just not been very good at relationships. And I know what my pattern of things is with relationships at this point.
‘I’m just not very good at them so I just need to work on myself before I put myself on to somebody else.’
The Strip That Down singer continued: ‘That’s where I got to in my last relationship.
‘I just wasn’t giving a very good version of me anymore, that I didn’t appreciate and I didn’t like being. I can honestly say I feel better out of it.
‘I didn’t feel good doing what I did but it had to happen. Just a corny way to say it was the best for us both.’
Liam popped the question to Maya last year with a dazzling diamond ring that set him back an eye-watering £3 million.
MailOnline exclusively broke the news of their engagement in August, the singer then confirmed he had popped the question over the first lockdown.
Pregnancy: The pair’s romance is said to have started in December 2015 when they got reacquainted at the X Factor final, with Cheryl debuting her baby bump with son Bear in November the next year
Prior to dating Maya, Liam enjoyed a brief dalliance with supermodel Naomi Campbell, yet his most high-profile romance was with Cheryl, who is 10 years his senior.
Meanwhile, four months after their split Cheryl said she plans to never date again.
Talking to singer Jessie Ware, for her podcast Table Manners, the 35-year-old singer said the only man she needs in her life, is her beloved son Bear, one.
Whirlwind romance: The couple welcomed Bear in March 2017 but confirmed the end of their romance in July 2018
She said: ‘I know what I want in life, but in the romantic area, I am not as evolved. That area has stopped. It’s not happening anymore. It’s the end. It’s the end.’
Jessie said to her: ‘No, you’re too beautiful,’ and Cheryl responded: ‘I’ve got the man in my life now. [Bear].’
The former Girls Aloud singer was previously married to Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini from 2014 but they split after 18 months.
Before that, she was married to footballer Ashley Cole from 2006, but they split after four years after he was alleged to have cheated on her.
Unlucky in love: Cheryl was previously married to Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini from 2014 but they split after 18 months
Ill-fated: She was married to footballer Ashley Cole from 2006, but they split after four years after he was alleged to have cheated on her