Cheryl Cole admits to 'dying inside' at the height of fame before her and Liam Payne's son Bear's birth

LONDON, ENGLAND: Liam Payne's ex-girlfriend Cheryl Cole has recently opened up on how the birth of her and the late singer's son helped her when she was left 'dying inside' at the height of her fame.

Former Girls Aloud star and 'X Factor' judge Cole, 41, and her ex-boyfriend, Payne—who tragically died on October 16 at the age of 31—had been co-parenting their son Bear since their split in 2018.

Both have been candid about the difficult choices they made together, cooperating to do what they believed was best for their seven-year-old son. Now, it appears that Payne was also there to help his child's mother through her own difficulties.

Cheryl Cole says son Bear helped her when she 'died inside' from anxiety

As a member of one of the biggest girl bands in the country and later as a judge on 'The X Factor' with music mogul Simon Cowell, Cheryl Cole revealed that she struggled with anxiety and self-confidence issues during the height of her career in the music industry.

Speaking in an open interview with 'Radio 1's Life Hacks,' she said, "I would talk to myself so nastily. 'You silly cow. You stupid b****.' No one could make me feel worse about myself than I did, and that was a massive problem," according to The Mirror.

She also disclosed her public persona, saying, "I would walk out to a wall of paparazzi and put on a smile but inside I was dying."

After Bear was born in 2017, Cole realized she couldn't continue in this manner while attempting to raise her baby which marked a turning point in her life.

Cole talked candidly about her battle with anxiety, stating, "I struggled for so many years with anxiety and in my own head. I didn't want that to be happening when I was trying to focus on raising a child."

The former girls band member revealed that the experience enabled her to "actively undo" all of the self-talk and negative thought patterns she had grown accustomed to.

Cole used cognitive behavioral therapy to address "years of self-loathing" and sought the assistance of a therapist to face her demons.

"It felt like my responsibilities shifted and my priorities changed and I needed to be settled in my own head to be able to give him the best that I could possibly give him," Cole said.

Cole and Payne announced their separation after two-and-a-half years of dating, but they pledged to stay close for their son's sake.

"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," their statement said.

During a 2018 interview with Style magazine in The Sunday Times, Cole told reporter Decca Aitkenhead that the One Direction singer was "the only man who has ever been faithful to her."

Cheryl Cole's confidence was severely damaged by past romantic challenges

The Girls Aloud singer's confidence was severely weakened by past romantic issues such as feeling deceived and betrayed. The claims that Ashley Cole was having an affair with hairdresser Aimee Walton caused her first marriage to fall apart.

Eventually, the Geordie pop sensation decided to try again and her efforts resulted in 'Fight For This Love', one of her bestselling solo songs.

Despite their best efforts, it was all over by 2010 as Cole filed for divorce due to more accusations of infidelity, citing "unreasonable behavior."

Cole stunned fans in July 2014 when she secretly married her second husband French restaurateur Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versinim. But the brief romance didn't last, and by 2016, Cole was back in the divorce proceedings.

She attributed her "stress and weight loss" to Jean-Bernard's "unreasonable behavior." Jean-Bernard has allegedly denied cheating on Cole despite accusations of infidelity.

Following the claim that Payne was her only faithful partner and that there was no animosity between the two despite their breakup occurring only a year after Bear's birth, Jean-Bernard has allegedly denied cheating on Cole.