WHO confirmed that Payne and the former Girls Aloud member were expecting in November. Though Cheryl didn’t officially announce her pregnancy until February, she stepped out showing her growing baby bump on multiple occasions in late 2016.
Payne and Cheryl began dating late last year, but first met in 2010 when the former One Direction member competed on The X-Factor. Cheryl was then a judge on the competition series.
The couple made their red carpet debut in May at Eva Longoria‘s Global Gift Gala in Paris, where Cheryl was awarded the Global Gift Philanthropist Award.
“Obviously I have the most beautiful girlfriend in the world and she’s absolutely amazing,” Payne told U.K.’s Rollacoaster magazine in March. “She’s been my dream girl since I was younger. She’s so ace.”
“She is a wonderful, wonderful person and it’s amazing to have someone who can relate to so much of things — someone who’s taken greater steps than me,” Payne continued. “Her solo career was amazing. She’s been in the industry for 14 years now.”
Added the singer of his beloved, who made her bump debut in a photoshoot for L’Oreal and The Prince’s Trust, published in The Daily Mirror, “She fully supports me. We’re super happy. It’s a very personal, precious time for us. I’m still learning. I’m only 23.”
This article originally appeared on PEOPLE.com