Cheryl & Liam: Trouble In Paradise

It should be the happiest time of thier life – but is everything OK for Chiam?

- Hannah Fernando

She’s arguably had the most talked-about ‘bump’ in celebrity history. But for the final weeks of her pregnancy, Cheryl Tweedy (she’s reverted to using her birth surname following her divorce from Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini) was holed up in Hertfordshire at her home in Radlett living the life of a virtual hermit.

Her house sits behind 8ft security gates and the fences surrounding the property bristle with security cameras. Cheryl’s also taken out a legally enforceable ban on photographers taking her picture outside so she’s free to move around as she pleases. But she’s mostly chosen not to, staying very close to home. Her mum Joan Callaghan, 57, is a regular visitor and her brother Garry, 29, has lived with her for some time.

At a glance, Cheryl’s life is the stuff of dreams – and you’d think her reclusive behaviour in recent weeks is the ideal stress-free way for a new mum to spend her days. This should be the happiest time for Cheryl, but behind closed doors her life isn’t as rosy as it appears. She’s a woman who, like many others, has found pregnancy fairly difficult and, while baby daddy Liam Payne has been away in LA, very lonely.

WHERE IS LIAM?

Cheryl, 33, may be in the UK but Liam, 23, mostly isn’t. This has understandably caused her some upset. Aside from the odd work engagement, Cheryl’s been able to hide her bump away from the prying eyes of the world, rarely leaving her Radlett home.

Her secrecy has done nothing to quell speculation or stop the gossip – instead it’s heightened interest in Cheryl and Liam’s private life and shone a spotlight on their less-than conventional relationship.