Pop star Cheryl has returned to the limelight for the first time since the tragic death of her ex partner Liam Payne in October last year

Cheryl’s tearjerking tribute to Liam Payne in first job since his tragic death(Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images for Universal Music)

Cheryl has made a triumphant return to the limelight following the heartbreaking loss of her former partner, Liam Payne.

The former Girls Aloud singer, 42, is making waves in a glamorous video promoting skincare giant Nivea, marking a fresh start after months out of the public eye.

The new campaign, which launched on Monday, features the mum-of-one confidently walking into a studio before settling down in front of the camera and lights. Cheryl coyly hides her face behind a newspaper dated ‘August 2025’. It comes after Cheryl’s one ‘non-negotiable request’ as Liam Payne’s ex returns to the limelight.

In her TV comeback, a tantalising message appears on the screen: “A New Era, Tomorrow”. Nivea then teased fans with the clip, captioning it: “This is right up our street. Tomorrow. 9am. A new era of skincare… guess who’s joining us?”.

However, the six-word statement from Nivea was actually a nod to Liam who died at the age of 31 in October last year. The caption: “This is right up our street” is actually a reference to one of Cheryl’s favourite catchphrases during her time as a judge on X Factor.

Cheryl is back with a big new beauty project(Image: Nivea)

Speaking about her five-year span on the X Factor, an insider told Mail Online: “The X Factor is such a big part of Cheryl’s story and it is, of course, where she first met Liam. It just felt right.”

Former One Direction star Liam tragically died on October 16, 2024, after falling from the third-floor balcony of a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The official cause of death was determined to be multiple traumatic injuries (polytrauma) resulting from the fall, including internal and external bleeding.

Cheryl and Liam dated for two years, from 2016 to 2018. They welcomed their son, Bear, in March 2017, just over a year into their relationship. However, the former couple sadly announced their split in July 2018 but they continued to co-parent their young son, who is now eight-years-old.

Cheryl and Liam dated for two years, from 2016 to 2018.(Image: Getty Images for Chopard)

The former Girls Aloud singer was appointed to manage Liam’s estate following his untimely death. She was given control over his £28,595,000 fortune and has made arrangements to set aside the money for their son until he reaches 25.

And Cheryl only agreed to come back to the limelight and appear in the Nivea advert under one condition – she would only do it if she could have her son Bear by her side.

An insider said: “It was very important for Cheryl to have Bear there with her. They are inseparable… As you can imagine it has been the most heartbreaking few months for the two of them and she has done everything she can to support him.

Liam with his baby son Bear in 2017

“She has had some pretty low ebbs herself, but just seeing Bear happy always puts a smile back on her face.”

The insider added: “He has been her number one priority and always will be. So as she tentatively returns to the limelight it felt only right that Bear be there.”

While Bear doesn’t appear in the advert, Cheryl is thought to have wanted him at the set because the campaign subtly nods to 31-year-old Liam.

The advert was filmed last month at a strictly secret location in west London. Cheryl was able to post glimpses of the ad on her Instagram yesterday, delighting her 3.8 million followers.