Cheryl Cole: Biography, Illness, and Relationships

If you grew up in the UK during the 2000s, Cheryl Cole was everywhere — on the radio with Girls Aloud, on your telly judging The X Factor, and in the tabloids for reasons she rarely chose. But behind the pop-star gloss lies a story that almost ended before her 27th birthday: in 2010, doctors told her she had less than a day to live after she contracted malaria in Tanzania — a story of survival and reinvention.

Full name: Cheryl Ann Tweedy · Born: 30 June 1983 · Age: 41 (as of 2024) · Children: 1 son (Bear Payne) · Notable role: Judge on The X Factor UK · Net worth (estimated): $20 million

Six key facts about Cheryl Cole, drawn from verified biographical sources:

Why did Cheryl Cole leave Liam Payne?

Cheryl and Liam Payne first met in 2008 when Liam, then 14, auditioned for The X Factor and Cheryl was a judge (Wikipedia (X Factor judge role)). Their romantic relationship began years later, in 2016, and they welcomed son Bear Grey Payne on 22 March 2017 (Wikipedia).

They separated in 2018. Reports at the time pointed to incompatible lifestyles and the strain of parenthood under media scrutiny, but neither party has confirmed a single decisive reason (Wikipedia (relationship timeline)). An unverified incident involving Cheryl’s security guard allegedly pushing Liam against a wall has never been corroborated.

Who threw Liam up against the wall?

• A tabloid report from 2018 claimed a security guard working for Cheryl physically restrained Liam during an argument. Neither Cheryl nor Liam has ever confirmed the story, and no legal action followed.

Bottom line: The split appears to have been a slow fade rather than a single blowup. Both have consistently described each other as friends and co-parents since 2018 (Wikipedia (parent of Bear)).

How old was Liam Payne when he dated Cheryl Cole?

Liam Payne was born on 29 August 1993, making him 23 when the relationship became public in 2016. Cheryl, born 30 June 1983, was 33 at the time — a 10-year age gap (Wikipedia). The age difference was a frequent topic in the press, though both dismissed it as irrelevant.

What age was Cheryl Cole when she got with Liam?

• Cheryl turned 33 in June 2016, just before the relationship was reported. Liam was 23.

The implication: the age gap itself wasn’t unusual — what made headlines was the asymmetry in fame and life stage. Cheryl had already been married twice; Liam was just entering his prime as a One Direction star.

How many children does Cheryl Cole have?

Cheryl has one child, a son named Bear Grey Payne, born on 22 March 2017 (Wikipedia). Bear’s father is Liam Payne. According to IMDb, Bear was delivered by Caesarean section (IMDb (medical detail)). Cheryl has no other children.

Since the split, Cheryl has spoken rarely about Bear, but has said she prioritises his privacy above her own public profile. For more about celebrity children, see our guide on David Beckham Children: All Four Kids’ Ages, Names, and Facts.

What happened between Simon Cowell and Cheryl?

Simon Cowell was Cheryl’s co-judge on The X Factor UK, first appearing together in 2008 (Wikipedia (X Factor judge)). Their relationship has been described as a father-daughter dynamic by some sources, and as openly combative by others. Cheryl left the show in 2011 after a reported rift with Cowell, but returned as a judge in 2014 (Wikipedia (X Factor timeline)).

In recent years, both have spoken warmly of each other. Cowell publicly supported Cheryl during her malaria recovery and the birth of Bear.

What illness did Cheryl Cole get?

In July 2010, Cheryl was diagnosed with malaria after a holiday in Tanzania with dancer Derek Hough (Wikipedia (travel companion)). According to her own account, she lost consciousness on 3 July 2010 and was urgently hospitalised (Wikipedia (collapse date)). The infection was severe: she has said that doctors told her she had no more than 24 hours to live; this claim has not been independently verified (Wikipedia (prognosis)).

How did she survive?

• She received intensive treatment in a London hospital and made a full recovery. Her autobiography Cheryl: My Story, published in 2012, details the ordeal (Wikipedia (autobiography)).

The pattern: Cheryl’s malaria scare is the single most dramatic health event of her life, and it reshaped her public image from “pop star” to “survivor” — a narrative she has leaned into ever since.

Does Cheryl Cole have a partner now?

As of 2025, Cheryl has not publicly confirmed a relationship. Since her split from Liam Payne in 2018, she has been linked to no one officially (Top40-Charts (current status)). She has said in interviews that she is focused on raising Bear and on her music.

The catch: for a celebrity whose personal life has been scrutinised since her early twenties, this period of privacy marks a deliberate shift. Whether it lasts is anyone’s guess.

For Cheryl, the last decade has been a masterclass in reinvention: from pop princess to malaria survivor, from tabloid fixture to guarded mother. For fans and observers in the UK, the choice is to accept the person she has become — private, selective, protective — or keep chasing the old headlines. The story is not over, but the chapter has clearly turned: she is no longer the girl the public owns.

For another biographical guide, check out Sunny Leone: Biography, Career, Marriage, and Controversies.