They were one of our favourite couples.

Against the odds - not to mention a ten-year age-gap - Cheryl Tweedy, 35, and Liam Payne, 24, seemed like a really great pairing. They enjoyed a whirlwind romance in the aftermath of her second divorce, however, the couple have now revealed that they have split. A near-identical message on both Cheryl and Liam's Twitter confirmed that Bear, their young son, is their 'world' and that they still have 'so much love' for each other. Their full statement reads:

"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."

https://twitter.com/LiamPayne/status/1013539051419381760 https://twitter.com/CherylOfficial/status/1013539222102396928 Mr Payne and Ms Tweedy first met back in 2009 when Liam auditioned on The X Factor. He was just 14 at the time. Cheryl has been married twice before: she wed footballer Ashley Cole in 2006 but they split in 2010 amid accusations of his infidelity. She also had a whirlwind romance with French restaurateur Jean Bernard Fernandez Versini, whom she married in July 2014 in the Caribbean three months after they met. They divorced in October 2016. A year ago, Cheryl and Liam welcomed their son, Bear. Confirming the happy news on Instagram, the 1D star posted a heart-warming message: "My close friends and family know there are very few times when I'm left speechless... wow! "I'm incredibly happy to welcome our new baby boy into the world, it's a moment that I will never forget for the rest of my life and my favourite memory I have so far." He added: "I'm completely in awe of his incredible mother and how she has been the whole way through this, she's really made my dreams come true." Cheryl turned 35 just a few days ago.