Liam Payne speaks out after he is pictured with ex Cheryl following split

Liam Payne has taken to his Instagram Stories to speak out after being pictured with ex-partner Cheryl at his niece's first birthday party.

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The former couple were snapped together for the first time in three years in Wolverhampton last Wednesday.

WATCH: Cheryl and her son Bear sing Jingle Bells together

Pictures obtained by Mail Online show Liam accompanying Cheryl outside as she appears to load things into her car on the driveway. In some pictures, Bear's parents are surrounded by other friends and family members.

READ: Cheryl shares rare insight into how she's bringing up son Bear

RELATED: Liam Payne celebrates son Bear's third birthday with heartwarming tribute

Liam, who recently split from Maya Henry, was dressed casually whilst showing off a new bleached blonde hair look.

Girls Aloud's Cheryl looked stunning as usual in an oversized sleeve-less grey hooded jumper teamed with a £383 Paul & Joe asymmetric pleated skirt.

© Photo: Getty Images

The couple have a son together, Bear, who is three years old

Following the release of the pictures, the former One Direction singer was quick to speak out – and joke about the unfavourable snaps.

"Mild attack of hay fever made headlines today. Ah Choo. Living the dream," he wrote alongside two pictures that seemed to show him in a mid sneeze.

He then added: "FFS why am I so awkward..."

Cheryl is yet to speak out on social media. The Fight For This Love star recently returned to Instagram and Twitter after 12 months of silence.

© Photo: Instagram

Cheryl returned to social media earlier this month

Her first snap since June 2020 came earlier this month when she posed for a selfie which showed off her natural beauty. In the photo, she rocked tousled brunette waves and opted for natural lashes, brows and a slick of pink lipgloss – and fans were obsessed with her understated glam.

She captioned her Instagram post: "We back **all covid tested." The star's followers commented in their hundreds, with Louise Redknapp sharing a heart emoji and Alesha Dixon chiming in: "Missed you."

One fan shared: "You are glowing" while another posted: "Omg we've missed you so much" and a third enthused: "And don't you look soooo good." We have to agree!