Mystery solved! Cheryl Fernandez-Versini and Liam Payne have poked fun at the speculation surrounding their relationship. After the Geordie singer posted a selfie with a "mystery man" on Instagram, fans were convinced that Cheryl was cuddling up to the One Direction star.
It seems that Liam, 22, was indeed the "mystery man" as he has posted a clearer picture of the pair together, lying down in the back of a car.
Cheryl, likewise, posted a cheeky photo with Liam and two male friends and asked fans to identify who was in her original snap. "My mystery man line up ? #whosthemysteryman #whoisit #whosworthit," she wrote.
© Photo: InstagramFans were right in thinking that Cheryl was cuddling up to Liam Payne
The I Don't Care singer caused quite a fuss earlier on Wednesday when she posted the selfie with the "mystery man". Cheryl was pictured leaning into a male companion and beaming from ear-to-ear, with only the man's arm in view.
"Liam's arm!! Am I the only one that's buzzing about these being together?" wrote one fan. "It could be Liam's arm," another commented.
However, other eagle-eyed Directioners were convinced that the man in the picture wasn't Liam. "It's not Liam," posted one fan. "Where are his Hieroglyphics tattoos? And the feather?"
"If it is@fakeliampayne then he's wearing his watch on the opposite wrist than he normally does," wrote another.
© Photo: InstagramCheryl poked fun, asking fans to identify her "mystery man"
Just a few hours before, fans expressed concern that Cheryl, 32, and Liam, 22, had split. The One Direction star deleted a loved-up selfie of the pair from his Instagram page, which he originally uploaded over the weekend and used as his profile picture.
The image, which he captioned "Happy", seemed to be Liam's confirmation that he and Cheryl are dating.
"OMG Liam Payne and Cheryl is over?" wrote one fan, with another adding: "Liam has changed his Instagram icon, have him and Cheryl split already?"
© Photo: InstagramThe singer had fans commenting that the man in the background was Liam
The hot new couple are said to have enjoyed a string of secret dates together. The Sun reported that their romance blossomed in December after The X Factor judge called time on her marriage to Jean-Bernard.
"Cheryl and Liam are in a relationship," the source said. "It was unexpected but they've both made each other incredibly happy. They've always got on well and share many of the same interests, but there was never anything romantic between them in the past.
"Their relationship developed very quickly in December after The X Factor final where One Direction gave their final performance before starting their hiatus. Liam is madly in love. This is the real deal."
