AS Girls Aloud stars Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh raced to support bandmate Cheryl at Liam Payne’s funeral, it was clear the trio are closer than ever.
Paying their respects to the tragic One Direction star, the father of Cheryl’s beloved son Bear, the girls proved their 22 year friendship truly is unbreakable, as they showed up to comfort the devastated singer.
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Despite starting Girls Aloud with Nadine Coyle and the late Sarah Harding in 2002, the bond between Cheryl, Nicola and Kimberley has always appeared stronger, with Cheryl calling them “the best friends anyone could ever ask for.”
Cheryl, 41, and Kimberley, 43, even had sons Cole and Bear just months apart and have raised their boys together, with Kimberley noting that she and Cheryl “parent in the same way.”
That’s not to mention Nicola, 39, having input too, helping to babysit and often joining their families for a slap up Sunday lunch.
So why has this been the one showbiz friendship that has weathered the storms of fame? It seems the ladies’ unshakeable, playful bond, from cute nicknames and cheeky banter to motherhood and naughty bum grabs might be the answer.
CUTE NICKNAMES
Nicole, Kimberly and Cheryl have never been short of praise for one another, often bigging each other up publicly and giving a glimpse into their friendship with cute selfies on social media.
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It led fans to affectionately label Cheryl and Kimberley ‘Chim’, a hybrid of their names, with many hoping the pair were enjoying a secret love affair.
The mania was fuelled in no small part by cheeky pics of Cheryl grabbing Kimberley’s bum, or shots of them with their arms wrapped around each other’s waists.
It certainly didn’t help when Cheryl admitted in 2019 to enjoying a secret kiss with Kimberley.
“I snogged Kimberley once,” she confessed. “It was a drunken night out, but still, I have a lot of explaining to do to Bear.”
Despite a cheeky peck, the girls have always remained just friends, with Cheryl calling Kimberley her “safety network” and “soulmate” and referring to both Kimberley and Nicola as “amazing, inspiring, gorgeous souls.”
Meanwhile, Nicola labeled Chez a ‘superwoman’ following her split from Liam in 2018.
AT-HOME SPA DATES
Kimberley has revealed the ladies often get together for catch ups, but with the reality of motherhood and family life taking over, their girlie time is never without its interruptions.
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Recalling one hilarious day-date, Kimberley explained how Nicola ended up babysitting her sons, Bobby, ten, Cole, seven, and three year old Nate.
Inside Liam Payne and Cheryl’s romance
By Joanne Kavanagh, Showbiz Reporter
It was a romance that caused a media storm.
One Direction hunk Liam Payne was only 14 when he met former X Factor judge Cheryl during the show in 2008.
But it wasn’t until 2016 – when the Girls Aloud singer was divorcing her second husband – that the pair got together despite their ten-year age gap.
The couple made their relationship official in May of that year when they appeared at Eva Longoria’s Global Gift Gala in Paris.
In 2017, Liam paid a sweet tribute to his girlfriend by getting a tattoo of her eye on his arm.
Cheryl was pregnant at the time and gave birth to a boy on March 22, 2017.
She posted a picture on Instagram of Liam cradling their 7lb 9oz baby and captioned: “On Wednesday Liam and I became parents to an incredibly beautiful, healthy baby boy looking like a dream.”
One pal told The Sun: “Liam didn’t leave Cheryl’s side throughout the birth, and like her, he is besotted with their new son and can’t wait to take him home.
“This is the perfect Mother’s Day for Cheryl.”
The Sun revealed in May 2017 that the couple named their son Bear.
They decided on the unusual name after spending a week getting to know him.
In February 2018, The Sun broke the news that Liam’s constant travelling to promote his solo career had placed a huge strain on the relationship, and the pair were ready to split.
That same month, Cheryl said “none of it matters” as she shrugged off questions about her crumbling romance with Liam during a BBC Breakfast interview.
They then put on a united front together at the Brit Awards where they smiled on the red carpet and Cheryl joked about the couple’s ‘safe word’.
However, by July 2018, Cheryl and Liam made the decision to split.
A pal told The Sun: “Cheryl and Liam worked really hard on their relationship – they had troubles earlier this year and were able to get through them.
“But they’re in different stages of their lives and, after a lot of careful thought, came to a decision that it’s best for everyone if they do go their separate ways.”
Liam and Cheryl released a statement confirming their break-up which read: “We are sad to announce that we are going our separate ways. It’s been a tough decision for us to make.
“We still have so much love for each other as a family. Bear is our world and we ask that you respect his privacy as we navigate our way through this together.”
“Nicola came over for a little spa date, we had a facial treatment at mine, but I’m not sure it was quite as relaxing as she was hoping for,” Kim said.
“The reality was she was on childcare duties while I had my facial. I could hear what was going on with my eyes closed and Bobby was making her do flying in the air, jumping on her back like Superman, making her run around, playing guns and all sorts… so I’m not sure it was the most relaxing spa date she has ever had.”
MUM’S THE WORD
When it comes to motherhood, Cheryl and Kimberley have found that raising their sons has inevitably brought them closer together.
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Cheryl gave birth to little Bear just three months after Kimberley had her second baby, Cole, and the boys are best buds as a result.
Speaking when the kids were smaller, Kimberley said, “It’s actually lovely to be going through (parenthood) at the same time.
Go around in our scruffs. Chill in the house with the kids. Make a cup of tea, gossip, watch reality TV
Nicola Roberts
“Cole and Bear are just starting to be proper buddies. They’re giving each other their dummies, passing each other food. It’s very, very cute.”
Kimberley previously said the boys “usually see each other about once a week” and explained she and Cheryl have a similar outlook on having kids.
“She’s so warm, like me,” she said. “I think when you’re really close to somebody, you feel like you do kind of all parent in the same way.”
CHEEKY DIGS
When Girls Aloud announced their reunion gigs earlier this year, Nicola couldnt resist some cheeky banter at Cheryl’s expense, proving just how comfortable the pals are with each other.
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When Nicola shared the news on her Instagram, a fan remarked, “I did not expect to be back in my fangirl life at 31 years old… but I’m SO here for it.”
To which Nicola shot back, “I don’t think Chez expected to be singing Love Machine past 30 but she’s so here for it.”
Girls Aloud reunion tour set list
The reunited noughties pop group put together a set list of all their biggest hits.
ACT ONE
- Untouchable
- The Show
- Something New
- Love Machine
- Can’t Speak French
- Biology
- Whole Lotta History
ACT TWO
- Wake Me Up
- Sound of the Underground
- Girl Overboard
- No Good Advice
- Graffiti My Soul
- Long Hot Summer
- I’ll Stand By You
ACT THREE
- Sexy! No No No…
- On the Metro
- Jump
- Call the Shots
- Something Kinda Ooooh
ENCORE
The quip was a hilarious reference to an infamous comment Cheryl had made about singing their hit song in the future.
Speaking in a 2006 documentary, she said, “There’ll be no reunions, though. Could you imagine? 30-odd-year-old (singing ‘I’m just a love machine’? Nah. No thanks.”
REGULAR SUNDAY ROASTS
Nicola has revealed the girls gather round each other’s houses for Sunday roasts, with Cheryl her pick for best chef.
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When asked in 2017 who made the better grub, Nic said, “I don’t want to upset anyone, but I’m going to say, because Kim has two babies, she’s a little bit more slapdash. She’s kind of like: ‘whatever’s in the fridge, we’ll pull that out and mix something up’.
“Whereas Cheryl is more, ‘I’m cooking a roast’ and the potatoes are done to perfection, she’s timed everything, everything’s well thought out, she’s stuffed the chicken with lemons. Sorry Kim!”
Nic added that the gang relish down time. “We just chill at the house, that’s all we do,” she explained.
“Go around in our scruffs. Chill in the house with the kids. Make a cup of tea, gossip, watch reality TV.”
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