Liam Payne and Cheryl's relationship has been under the spotlight in recent weeks amid rumours of a split. But over the weekend, the One Direction singer appeared to dismiss the speculation by enjoying a night out with Cheryl's brother Joe and his sons - one of whom was reportedly celebrating their birthday. The group of five posed for a picture together, which was shared on fansite Cheriam News' Twitter page, during the Ultimate Fighting Championship match at London's 02.
Liam Payne pictured with Cheryl's rarely-seen brother Joe and her nephews
The photo was captioned: "NEW @LiamPayne with @CherylOfficial's brother and nephews at #UFCLondon at the O2 Last night." Cheryl's rarely-seen brother is pictured on the far left of the image, with Liam stood in the middle. It's believed that Joe lives in Heaton with his wife Kerry Stewart and their six children. He runs a tattoo parlour, called Timeless Body Art, in Newcastle. Liam's night out comes shortly after he inadvertently suggested that he will miss out on baby Bear's first birthday on 22 March.
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The 24-year-old, who shares his young son with girlfriend Cheryl, took to Instagram on Thursday to reveal he will be jetting off to Japan this week for work commitments. Alongside a photo showing 1D on stage in the country, he wrote: "This time next week I'll be on my way to Japan! I've got some amazing memories from Japan, can't wait to be back #TBT." Little Bear's birthday falls on Thursday - it remains to be seen whether the little boy and mum Cheryl will join Liam on the trip.
Ahead of the big day, an insider revealed that the couple will be hosting an intimate family gathering, having reportedly asked guests not to bring their son any presents, so as not to "spoil" the little boy. A source told MailOnline: "They’re planning an intimate family party for Bear’s first birthday with just their immediate family members from both sides. They didn’t want to have a big party, they want to enjoy the day with their close family. They have asked for no presents as they don’t want to spoil Bear and they are hosting at their house."