Cheryl Cole 24, Liam Payne 14 at first meeting – false

It was like at first sight, and after Cowell gave Payne his patented verbal beating, Cole claimed, "I like you, I think you're really cute." It still took a few years, two divorces, and another X Factor appearance for the singer to romantically link up with the One Direction star. The pair reunited in 2015, where they were spotted "cuddling" on-set during a commercial break, but not everyone was thrilled. In an interview with Celebs Now, Payne's ex Sophia Smith admitted his romance with Cole was "so weird."

... Given the pair met when Liam was 14 and Cheryl 25, many wonder how old Liam was when they finally got together. Liam was 21 when he and Cheryl began dating. When the pair welcomed their son in 2017, Liam was 23 and Cole, 33.

... After his first X Factor audition when he was 14, Cheryl, who is 10 years his senior, said: "I like you, I think you're really cute" after Simon Cowell knocked his 'lack of fun'.

Cheryl is keen to have her say over fresh speculation about her relationship with Liam Payne and their 10-year age gap ... Someone else added: "Cheryl met Liam Payne when she was a judge on X Factor. He was 14 at the time. She went on to have a relationship with him several years later." “How come no one is questioning Cheryl Cole when she met Liam Payne at 14?!

2008 - Cheryl and Liam meet for the first time on the X Factor · Liam was aged 14 when he met X Factor judge Cheryl for the first time during season five of the popular programme in 2008.

The story of Liam Payne and Cheryl Cole's romance began when he was just 14 and auditioning for what he'd call "one of the biggest music shows in the world." While his stab at solo stardom ended when he was cut during The X Factor's Judges' ...

Picture: Getty · The majority of controversy around their surprise romance comes from this moment in their timeline as Cheryl and Liam actually met when she was a judge on The X Factor and he was auditioning.

Liam Payne and ex Cheryl Cole first crossed paths in 2008 but didn’t start their romance until much later. In 2008, Payne auditioned to be on X Factor for the first time at age 14.

Payne agreed to that, but the age topic once again reared its ugly head later in the show. Grimshaw made reference to Payne's success at a young age, joking "you're only 12." (He's 23, and Cheryl is 33.)