Cheryl denies claims she and Liam Payne faked romance for six months before split

Cheryl has hit back at reports that she and Liam Payne kept up the pretence of their relationship for six months before announcing their separation.

The 36-year-old Fight For This Love singer and the 26-year-old former One Direction star – who have a two-year-old son, Bear – announced their split in July 2018.

But speaking on Jessie Ware's Table Manners podcast, released on Wednesday, Payne said of his and Cheryl’s relationship: “We broke up around For You, actually, which is quite interesting.” For You, his single with Rita Ora, was released in January 2018.

Now a representative for Cheryl has told MailOnline: “This is a nonsense story. Liam doesn’t say on the podcast that they split up in January or at the time of release of With You [sic].

Read more: Liam Payne admits turning to drink to deal with fame

“That is The Sun’s wrong interpretation of his quote. The couple 100% split in July 2018 as was well documented. This is just an agenda-driven story once again.”

Payne also told Ware on the podcast that the pressure of being in a celebrity couple became too much for him and Cheryl to cope with.

Read more: Cheryl went to therapy for a year to help be better mum to Bear

He said: “I think we kind of rubbed off on each other a little bit in that way. In a bad way, actually. All of that stuff puts so much ­pressure on a relationship.

“For her, if you were going out somewhere, it would take so long to get out of the door because you’re just so worried.”

Payne is now dating model Maya Henry, 19. Earlier this year he was linked to 49-year-old supermodel Naomi Campbell.

He and Cheryl began dating in February 2016 and Bear was born in March 2017. The couple have remained amicable and are co-parenting their son.