Liam Payne was a doting dad to his son, Bear, who he shared with his ex-girlfriend, Cheryl – now a special phrase spoken by Bear at Christmas has been unearthed

One Direction’s Liam Payne once opened up about his magical Christmas traditions in his role as a loving father to his son Bear, whom he shares with ex-Girls Aloud star, Cheryl. In a touching throwback interview, the 31 year old singer revealed how they made the festive period special for Bear, filled with family warmth and customs, reports OK!.

However, in a recent revelation that’s sure to tug at the heartstrings of fans, we’ve learned the first Christmas words spoken by Bear, now seven, which are both incredibly sweet and heartbreakingly poignant. Tragically this Christmas will be young Bear’s first without his loving dad. Liam tragically lost his life after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, last month. While it’s understood that Liam’s body has been returned to the UK, his funeral is yet to take place in his hometown of Wolverhampton.

Christmas took on a new meaning for his son Bear, whom he shared with Cheryl ( 
Image:
Instagram/Cheryl Tweedy)

Reflecting on past Christmases in a 2020 interview with People, Liam shared how becoming a father to Bear in 2017 gave the holiday “a new meaning” after years of feeling disconnected from the celebration. He expressed: “For me, it really reignited Christmas. I moved away from home at 17, so Christmas kind of took on a new meaning. It was great to be able to shower people with gifts and make everybody feel welcome, but Christmas always felt a little bit hollow for some reason. Now he’s kind of filled that hole for me and I understand it all over again.”

Liam also revealed that Bear is a big fan of festive films. He said: “He completely gets it now! He’s been watching Home Alone and ‘Merry Christmas, you filthy animal,’ was one of his first phrases. Liam said he found this ” Liam found this “absolutely hilarious.”

The phrase “Keep the change, you filthy animal” is a famous line from the film Home Alone, where Kevin McCallister, played by Macaulay Culkin, uses it to trick burglars. The line is originally from the 1938 black-and-white film Angels with Dirty Faces.

Bear’s special phrase appeared on screen ( 
Image:
Cheryl/Instagram/TikTok)

Cheryl, who dated Liam from 2016 to 2018, used an audio recording of Bear repeating the phrase in a Christmas message she posted on Instagram in 2022. In the video, with a Christmas tree in the background, Cheryl said: “Hey everyone, it’s Cheryl here. Just wishing you a very merry Christmas with lots of love from me, my family and my Greatest Dancer family.”

The video ended with Bear’s voice saying: “Merry Christmas you filthy animals, and a happy new year” alongside an image of the quote.

Cheryl has spoken out about the heartbreaking loss of Liam, following his sudden passing. The former X Factor judge shared a poignant photo of Liam and their son Bear together on a bed, stating: “As I try to navigate this earth shattering event, and work through my own grief at this indescribably painful time, Id like to kindly remind everyone that we have lost a human being. Liam was not only a pop star and celebrity, he was a son, a brother, an uncle, a dear friend and a father to our 7 year old son. A son that now has to face the reality of never seeing his father again.”