Yahoo News Baby joy for former X Factor judge Cheryl and One Direction star Liam Payne
Former X Factor judge Cheryl has given birth to a baby boy.
The 33-year-old singer announced on her Instagram page on Saturday evening that she and Liam Payne had become parents on Wednesday.
She posted a photo of One Direction star Liam cradling a baby with dark hair.
Cheryl: her life and career in pictures
Cheryl captioned the photo: "On Wednesday 22nd March Liam and I became parents to an incredibly beautiful, healthy baby boy, weighing 7lb 9 and looking like a dream.
"Although he still doesn't have a name he is already stealing hearts.
"We are all madly in love and overwhelmingly happy with our little arrival.
"Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers around the world.
"A day that now has a different meaning to me forever."
The couple had kept details of the pregnancy private, but Cheryl had been photographed numerous times with a prominent baby bump.
Proud new father Payne shared the same photo with his Instagram followers.
The 23-year-old wrote: "My close friends and family know there are very few times when I'm left speechless...wow!
"I'm incredibly happy to welcome our new baby boy into the world, it's a moment that I will never forget for the rest of my life and my favourite memory I have so far.
"I'm completely in awe of his incredible mother and how she has been the whole way through this, she's really made my dreams come true.
"We haven't named him yet but he's already capturing hearts including mine. I feel very blessed.
"Happy Mother's Day everyone!"
Within hours of the revelation, fans of Cheryl, 33, and Payne, 23, took to Twitter to ruminate over the infant's possible moniker, with many citing a previous interview she had given in which she said she liked the name Alfie.
One fan wrote: "I wonder if @CherylOfficial & @LiamPayne will name their Son Alfie as Cheryl has said previously she likes the name £CherylAndLiam."
"I heard Cheryl likes the name Alfie ... Imagine Alfie Payne ... I kinda like it tbh," another added, while several others agreed.
In an interview with GQ in 2012, Cheryl said: "I'd love kids. I'm obsessed with babies. Of course I've thought about baby names. A million times. I like Alfie for a little boy. I know that's what I was put on the earth to do. To be a mother."
Another name doing the rounds on social media was Taylor, a name that Payne once declared a fondness for.
One keen One Direction fan joked that the "fandom" had already declared the baby's name as Taylor, writing: "Liam and cheryl: *thinking for the baby's name*. Fandom: WELCOME TO THE FANDOM BABY TAYLOR PAYNE. Me: im done with this fandom."
Another wrote: "WAIT is he gonna name the baby "taylor" because he once said he wanted to name his child taylor."
In a previous radio interview, Payne said: "I like the name Taylor. Taylor's pretty neutral for a boy or a girl.
"That's what I'm going to call my first child if I had children."
