Liam Payne and Cheryl first met when he was just 14 years old and auditioned for The X Factor, with the Girls Aloud star sitting on the judging panel

The late Liam Payne maintained a close relationship with the mother of his child, Cheryl Cole, and previously reflected on the peculiar nature of their initial meeting.

The One Direction heartthrob was merely 14 when he first stepped into The X Factor audition room in 2008, yet his talent was unmistakable. His smooth performance of Frank Sinatra’s Fly Me To The Moon charmed the judges, including Simon Cowell, Dannii Minogue, Louis Walsh, and notably, Cheryl (who was Cheryl Tweedy back then).

Even then, Liam exhibited the charm that would later define him as a boyband member, even playfully winking at Cheryl during his performance. At the time, The then-25-year-old singer, who was married to footballer Ashley Cole, had already established herself as a pop sensation with girl band Girls Aloud. Years later, Liam went on to become a popular musician and father a child with Cheryl.

Reflecting on this moment during a May 2020 interview with Esquire, Liam commented: “Let’s address the elephant in the room. Obviously, the future mother of my son is sitting in that chair. This is now an episode of How I Met Your Mother, so that’s enough of that I think.”

Cheryl couldn’t hide her admiration for young Liam during his audition, saying: “I like you. I think you’re really cute. I think you’ve got charisma. You give us that little cheeky wink,” reports the Mirror.

Liam’s journey on the show saw him initially get cut at the judges’ houses stage, but he didn’t lose heart and came back two years later to make it to boot camp. It was there that he joined forces with Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, and Niall Horan to form One Direction, a band name that would echo through stadiums worldwide.

Despite only securing third place in the competition, they skyrocketed to fame, drawing comparisons to The Beatles’ legendary following. Cheryl and Liam’s romance, which drew criticism, happened in 2016, and they welcomed their son Bear in 2017.

Liam first auditioned on The X Factor in 2008 and returned in 2010 when he became part of One Direction