Liam Payne was besotted with Sophia Smith in his secondary school days, reportedly asking her out 20 times before she said yes.
He admitted in an interview with Attitude magazine that he’d “assumed she wasn’t interested” after being knocked back by her in the past and quipped: “She was way too hot for me, anyway!” However, the childhood pals finally got together three years after he became a member of One Direction, Britain’s biggest boy band at the time.
Then in their early 20s, everything clicked in a way it never had done all those years before, and the pair had even discussed marriage. They dated for two years before splitting in 2015, leaving Liam telling the world he was “absolutely devastated”.
He cryptically revealed to The Sun at the time: “In order to do right by somebody, sometimes it’s better not to do what your heart wants, but to do what’s better for them.” Almost a decade on, Sophia has given birth to a baby daughter, and the little girl’s dad, James Bridgwood, chose the festive season to propose.
In an pyjama-clad video posted to her Instagram account, Sophia shared the couple chilling out on Christmas Day while surrounded by rose petals and champagne. Leaving friends in no uncertainty about the fact that James had popped the question, she wrote: “Yes a million times over. 25.12.24.”
Their daughter Angelina Grace, who will turn two in April, could be seen contentedly playing in the background.
Sophia got a message of approval from Lottie Tomlinson – the sister of Liam’s former 1D bandmate Louis – as she wrote “Congratulations” alongside love hearts and crying emojis.
Louise Teasdale, who had been a hair and makeup artist behind the scenes on 1D tours like Lottie, also shared the couple’s joy as she wrote: “Aw Soph!”
I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! star Maura Higgins, who is currently dating Pete Wicks, also sent Sophia a message of goodwill.
The bride-to-be is thought to have remained friendly with Liam post-split, even attending 1D’s final concert tour with him – and they shared some of the same pals.
Months after splitting with Sophia, Liam began a relationship with Cheryl Cole, the Girls Aloud singer ten years his senior, who’d been one of the X Factor judges when he’d first auditioned for a chance at fame.
They had a baby son, Bear, together in 2017, but later split, and at the time of his death, he was dating American model Kate Cassidy.
Liam died in October 2024 after falling from a hotel room balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina.