will.i.am: ‘Cheryl needs a steady foreverness’

will.i.am has hinted that Cheryl Fernandez-Versini needs a "steady" relationship in order to be happy.

The 32-year-old singer started dating 22-year-old One Direction star Liam Payne following the breakdown of her marriage to French businessman Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini and will.i.am says his friend is happiest when she has a "steady foreverness".

He told Mirror Online at Capital FM’s Summertime Ball: "Cheryl is the best, I love her a lot. I would like to see her happy, steady, constant.

"Cheryl is the kind of person who will always be happy if she has a steady foreverness."

will.i.am isn’t the only pal to weigh in on Cheryl’s romantic life, with Liam’s 1D bandmate Niall Horan recently teasing that here is a "little bit of a story" behind their romance.

He said: "There’s a little bit of a story behind it but I won’t be telling you that.

"She’s a great girl, really fun. He’s a top man and one of my best friends. She seems happy, he’s happy, so I’m happy for them."

Meanwhile, it was recently claimed Liam is keen to "prove he’s worthy" of Cheryl, despite being much younger than her.

A source said: "Liam has fallen hard for Cheryl.

"At first, he was overwhelmed by all the drama – especially her divorce – but after everything they’ve been through, he’s so head over heels in love with her and he’s being very protective.

"He’s always trying to please Cheryl and trying to prove to her that he’s worthy of being her boyfriend, in the sense that he’s so young and was always afraid that she might not take him seriously.

"He’s always showering her with gifts, acting like a loved-up puppy dog and planning their future together."