'Protective'Cheryl fears fame for Bear

Her son made a rare public appearance when he joined her for a sound check during the Girls Aloud tour - but according to a source, Cheryl is keen to keep Bear out of the spotlight

-  Eve Macdonald

Pop star Cheryl is all too aware of the good, the bad and the ugly sides of fame, and it seems she’s chosen to keep her seven-year-old son Bear out of the limelight.

However, during her recent sell-out comeback tour with Girls Aloud, Cheryl was pictured bringing Bear on stage during a gig sound check at Sheffield Arena. In the newly unearthed snap, the star, dressed in a pink tracksuit, is seen holding her son’s hand, while Bear has his back to the camera.

According to a source, Cheryl, 41, has made a conscious effort to keep Bear, her son with former One Direction singer Liam Payne, out of the public eye in order to protect him from the showbiz world.

“Cheryl is extremely protective of Bear and really does want to keep him out of the limelight where she can,” the source told us.

“One of the big reasons is because she knows the true nature of fame through her own career. It can be amazing and open so many doors, but it can also be a damaging thing – and that’s the last thing she wants for her little boy.”

Cheryl and 30-year-old Liam have only included Bear in a handful of appearances on their social media. The couple, who were in a relationship for two years, breaking up in 2018 a year after the birth of their son, appear to be on the same page when it comes to his right to privacy.