Liam Payne has revealed why he and Cheryl chose the unusual animal baby name
Bear for their son.
One Direction star Liam said that the unique moniker wasn't his personal first pick, admitting that Cheryl 'did all the work.'
Speaking during an appearance on a radio show in America, where's he's currently based whilst Cheryl looks after their newborn in the UK, the 23-year-old explained that he'd had something of an 'internal battle' over the selection.
'The reason she chose Bear in the end was because Bear is a name that when you leave a room you won't forget. And I like that. When I look at him he is Bear.'
'To be honest at first I wasn't having it, I didn't understand it and I wasn't sure. Now I look at him and he is Bear. It's mad.'
News of the pair's choice of baby name was first reported in The Sun's Bizarre column earlier this month.
A source told the title: 'Cheryl and Liam wanted to get to know their baby before deciding on a name.'
'They spent over a week getting to know him first before deciding. They wanted to get to know him before they decided on the name.'
Confirming that Bear will also take his father's surname, the insider added: 'They didn't have the name Bear before the birth. But they'd been thinking of a name since meeting him and they just felt it suited him.'
'They love their little baby Bear Payne and are truly over the moon and loving being parents for the first time together.'
Cheryl took to social media on 25th March to announce that she and Liam had become parents for the first time, to a baby boy whose name is yet to be chosen.
The singer posted an adorable Polaroid picture to her Instagram account of One Direction star Liam holding their 7lb 9oz bundle of joy. Revealing that she gave birth on Wednesday 22nd March, Cheryl told her fans that Mother's Day will have 'a different meaning to me forever'.
Liam also wrote a touching post, sharing the same image with his 13 million followers.
The former X Factor judge, 33, kept quiet about her baby news throughout her pregnancy, despite being pictured a number of times with a growing bump.
Cheryl eventually confirmed that she was expecting in a campaign shoot for L'Oreal and The Prince's Trust, where she was photographed and videoed cradling her stomach. She later shared the images with her social media followers, alongside a heartfelt message about her work with the brands.
'I am proud to announce that I am one of fifteen ambassadors working with @PrincesTrust & LOreal Paris UK to help thousands of young people turn self-doubt into self-worth. The "All Worth It" Confidence training program starts now! Link in my bio👆🏼 #ALLWORTHIT #PRINCESTRUSTLOREAL',' she said alongside the snap of herself with her fellow ambassadors, wearing a fitting black outfit that showed off her blooming belly.
Image: L'Oreal/The Prince's Trust
Liam kept similarly private about the development, although another source told Hollywood Life in November 2016 that his One Direction bandmate Louis Tomlinson had been 'preparing him for fatherhood'.
'He's apparently letting him know what his new life is going to be like — all-nighters and all!' they said. 'Louis of course is already teasing him that he will never sleep in again. His advice… sleep as much as you can while you can!'
Speaking to the Sunday People in October of the same year, former Girls Aloud star Kimberley Walsh did not confirm the pregnancy news directly, but said that Cheryl would be a 'brilliant mum'.
'She has loads of nieces and nephews, so she's used to the madness of children,' Kimberley, a mum-of-two herself, explained. 'Both she and Nicola (Roberts) are naturally good with kids.'
Cheryl and Liam first met on the set of The X Factor in 2009, when wannabe popstar Liam auditioned for the reality show, and reportedly started dating in 2016.
Cheryl has had two previous marriages, to footballer Ashley Cole, whom she divorced in 2010, and Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini, whom she split from last year.
