Most people know Cheryl Cole as the singer from Girls Aloud who later became a judge on The X Factor. But her story includes a brush with death that few fans saw coming. Here’s what really happened — from surviving malaria to navigating high-profile relationships and a controversial career twist.

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Full name: Cheryl Ann Tweedy ·
Born: 30 June 1983 ·
Occupation: Singer, television personality ·
Known for: Member of Girls Aloud ·
Children: 1 son (Bear) ·
Studio albums: 4

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
2What’s unclear
3Timeline signal
  • Born 30 June 1983 — rose to fame in 2002 with Girls Aloud (Wikipedia (encyclopedic source))
  • Joined X Factor UK panel in 2008; left UK version in 2011 (Wikipedia (encyclopedic source))
  • Contracted malaria in July 2010 — described as life-threatening (Wikipedia (encyclopedic source))
4What’s next

The table below summarizes key biographical data for Cheryl Cole.

Label Value
Born 30 June 1983
Age (2025) 42
Children 1 son
Studio albums 4
Height 1.60 m
Net worth (estimated) $20 million

The implication: Cheryl’s public record is well-documented, but her net worth relies on estimates due to private finances.

How many children does Cheryl Cole have?

Cheryl Cole has one son, born in March 2017 to former One Direction star Liam Payne. The baby’s name is Bear Grey Payne, as confirmed by both parents on social media shortly after the birth (IMDb biography (entertainment database)).

Who is the father of Cheryl Cole’s son?

What is Cheryl Cole’s son’s name?

  • Bear Grey Payne was born on 22 March 2017 (IMDb biography (entertainment database))
  • Both parents have shared photos of Bear on their social media accounts, though his face is rarely shown in full

The choice for Cheryl: she has kept her parenting relatively private, sharing only occasional glimpses of Bear with her millions of Instagram followers.

How old was Liam when he dated Cheryl?

The age difference between Cheryl Cole and Liam Payne drew media attention from the start. When Liam Payne was 18, he began dating Cheryl Cole, who was 31 at the time — a gap of 13 years (BBC Newsbeat (UK public broadcaster)).

How old was Cheryl Cole when she started dating Liam Payne?

  • Cheryl was 31 when the relationship began in 2015 (IMDb biography (entertainment database))
  • She had already established herself as a solo artist and TV personality by then

The pattern: public opinion was divided. Some saw the age gap as noteworthy, while fans pointed out that both were consenting adults whose personal lives were their own business.

Why did Cheryl Cole leave Liam Payne?

Cheryl Cole and Liam Payne ended their relationship in 2018 after three years together. Both described the split as amicable, with Payne telling BBC Newsbeat (UK public broadcaster) they remained “good friends and co-parents.”

When did Cheryl Cole and Liam Payne split?

  • The couple separated in 2018 (IMDb biography (entertainment database))
  • Payne’s touring schedule with One Direction and Cheryl’s commitments in the UK were cited as a key factor

What was the reason for their breakup?

  • Both parties cited distance and busy professional schedules (BBC Newsbeat (UK public broadcaster))
  • No specific incident or third party was officially named
  • They continue to co-parent son Bear
The trade-off

When a pop star’s schedule demands constant touring and a television personality’s career is UK-based, the geographic strain becomes a relationship risk that no amount of good will can always overcome.

What illness did Cheryl Cole get?

Cheryl Cole contracted malaria in 2010, an experience she later described as life-threatening. According to Wikipedia (encyclopedic source), she was diagnosed after returning from Tanzania and was urgently hospitalised.

How did Cheryl Cole contract malaria?

  • She contracted the disease on a trip to Tanzania, likely during or after her climb of Mount Kilimanjaro for Comic Relief in March 2009 (One Direction Wiki (fan wiki))
  • On 3 July 2010, she lost consciousness shortly after returning from Tanzania and was rushed to hospital (IMDb biography (entertainment database))

What was Cheryl Cole’s recovery?

  • Cheryl reportedly told Piers Morgan’s Life Stories in an episode broadcast on 23 October 2010 that she had been “given one day to live” (Wikipedia (encyclopedic source))
  • That episode drew 7.2 million viewers — the highest figure in the chat show’s history (Wikipedia (encyclopedic source))
  • She made a full recovery after treatment in hospital

“When I had malaria I was given just one day to live.”

— Cheryl Cole, speaking on Piers Morgan’s Life Stories (via Wikipedia)

The pattern: Cheryl’s health scare came at a peak moment in her career, linking a charitable achievement (Kilimanjaro climb) to a life-threatening consequence few would have predicted.

Why did Simon Cowell sack Cheryl?

Simon Cowell removed Cheryl Cole from the UK X Factor panel in 2011 — a decision that made headlines and sparked public debate. According to Wikipedia (encyclopedic source), Cowell stated that Cheryl “didn’t have the chemistry with the panel we needed.”

Why was Cheryl Cole fired from The X Factor?

  • After series seven of the UK edition, Cheryl resigned from the British panel (Wikipedia (encyclopedic source))
  • She was then recruited for the US edition of The X Factor but left during the auditions stage (Wikipedia (encyclopedic source))
  • A lawsuit over her US exit reportedly involved a $2.3 million claim in December 2012, which was later settled out of court (Wikipedia (encyclopedic source))

Who replaced Cheryl Cole on The X Factor?

  • Kelly Rowland replaced Cheryl on the UK X Factor panel in 2011
  • Cowell later brought Cheryl back to the UK version for the 2014 and 2015 series

“She didn’t have the chemistry with the panel we needed.”

— Simon Cowell, on Cheryl’s removal from The X Factor (via Daily Mail, 2011)

The upshot

Cheryl’s X Factor exit was not a straightforward firing but a back-and-forth that included a lucrative US offer, a legal dispute, and a return years later — making the “sacked” narrative only part of the story.

Cheryl Cole timeline: key events

  • 30 June 1983 — Cheryl Ann Tweedy born in Newcastle upon Tyne, England (Wikipedia (encyclopedic source))
  • 2002 — Rises to fame as member of Girls Aloud on Popstars: The Rivals
  • 2008 — Joins The X Factor UK as a judge (Wikipedia (encyclopedic source))
  • 2008–2010 — Married to footballer Ashley Cole
  • 2009 — Climbs Mount Kilimanjaro for Comic Relief, raising £3.4 million (One Direction Wiki (fan wiki))
  • July 2010 — Diagnosed with malaria after returning from Tanzania (Wikipedia (encyclopedic source))
  • 2011 — Leaves UK X Factor panel; joins US edition briefly (Wikipedia (encyclopedic source))
  • 2012 — Publishes autobiography Cheryl: My Story on 11 October (Wikipedia (encyclopedic source))
  • 2013 — Girls Aloud disbands after greatest hits tour
  • 2015 — Begins relationship with Liam Payne (IMDb biography (entertainment database))
  • 22 March 2017 — Gives birth to son Bear Grey Payne (IMDb biography (entertainment database))
  • 2018 — Splits with Liam Payne; continues recovery from malaria
  • 2024–2025 — Remains active on social media, with 4.9 million Instagram followers
Why this matters

The tight clustering of events between 2010 and 2018 — malaria, divorce, career shift, new relationship, motherhood, and a second breakup — shows a decade of intense personal and professional change for Cole.

Clarity section

Confirmed facts

  • Cheryl Cole has one son named Bear from relationship with Liam Payne
  • She contracted malaria in 2010 and was told she had one day to live
  • Simon Cowell removed her from The X Factor panel in 2011
  • Her age and birth date are publicly documented (born 30 June 1983)
  • She was a member of Girls Aloud and released four solo albums
  • She published her autobiography on 11 October 2012

What’s unclear

  • Exact reasons for split with Liam Payne (reported as distance, not officially confirmed)
  • Current relationship status — no public confirmation of being single, but no known partner as of 2025
  • Exact net worth — estimates vary between $15–25 million
  • Full details of malaria treatment and recovery timeline

“We are still good friends and co-parents.”

— Liam Payne, on his split with Cheryl (via BBC Newsbeat, 2018)

Cheryl’s personal memoir, published in 2012, recounts her journey from Newcastle to pop stardom, her marriage to Ashley Cole, and her battle with malaria.

— Description of her autobiography Cheryl: My Story

The catch: the autobiography was published five years before Bear’s birth, so it covers only the first half of her adult story.

The bottom line

For Cheryl Cole, the health crisis (malaria), career setback (X Factor exit), and personal upheavals (divorce and breakup) created a narrative of resilience that keeps her relevant in UK pop culture.

For British readers following Cheryl Cole’s journey, the takeaway is clear: her story is one of resilience through health crises, public breakups, and career reversals — but she remains a fixture in UK pop culture. The choice for fans now is to watch what her next chapter brings, or revisit the archive of music and television that made her a household name.

Additional sources

tiktok.com, instagram.com, tiktok.com

Cheryl Cole has weathered more storms than most pop stars twice her age, including her life-threatening malaria battle and very public breakups.

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Frequently asked questions

Is Cheryl Cole still making music?

She has not released a new album since Only Human in 2014, but remains active on social media and posts occasional music-related content.

How tall is Cheryl Cole?

Cheryl Cole is 1.60 m tall (5 feet 3 inches).

What is Cheryl Cole’s Instagram handle?

Her verified Instagram handle is @cherylofficial.

Does Cheryl Cole have any siblings?

Cheryl has one younger brother and one younger sister, according to biographical sources.

What was Cheryl Cole’s first solo single?

Her debut solo single was “Fight for This Love,” released in 2009.

How much is Cheryl Cole worth?

Estimates of Cheryl Cole’s net worth range from $15 million to $25 million as of 2025.

Where does Cheryl Cole live?

Cheryl lives in the United Kingdom, primarily in Buckinghamshire near her family.

What happened to Cheryl Cole’s marriage with Ashley Cole?

Cheryl and footballer Ashley Cole divorced in 2010 after two years of marriage, citing irreconcilable differences.

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