EXCLUSIVE: Liam Payne's Ex Cheryl 'Gripped With Panic' Over Warning Her Convicted Killer Stalker Could be Set Free Within WEEKS
Cheryl is said to be living in constant terror.
March 31 2025, Published 8:00 a.m. ET
The former lover of One Direction star Liam Payne is living in fear a convicted killer stalker will be freed from jail in weeks and resume his campaign of terror against her.
RadarOnline.com can reveal popstar Cheryl Cole, 41, has upped security at the $6m mansion in the United Kingdom she shares with eight-year-old Bear, the son she had with the tragic pop hunk, but she still has the specter of deranged Daniel Bannister hanging over her.
He's just been given a four-month sentence for breaching a restraining order after he turned up at the star’s home in December, leaving her feeling "distressed" and "terrified" for her and son Bear’s safety.
But because the crank has already spent three months in prison on remand, he could be released within weeks.
The singer is desperate to protect her boy.
A source told us: "Cheryl's life has turned into a real-life horror show, and honestly, it's hard not to feel for her. I mean, can you believe she’s living in constant fear that Bannister might just show up at her doorstep just a few weeks after being sent to jail?
"He could walk free very soon now, and that’s sending her into pure panic mode. She has even upped the security at her home like it’s a scene from some thriller movie, and every time she steps outside, it’s like she’s bracing for an attack.
"Meanwhile, she’s trying to juggle her own trauma over Liam's death while helping Bear cope with losing his dad.
"Friends and family are totally freaking out about Bannister’s potential release, hey can see her 'mum face' is just a front.
"The smallest things set her off – poor Cheryl is struggling while pretending everything’s fine in front of Bear.
"It’s honestly heartbreaking. She is really gripped with panic each time she sets foot outside the door."
Cheryl pictured at Payne's funeral after being left devastated by his death.
Bannister – who was convicted of manslaughter in 2012 – was initially handed a three-year restraining order, and given a four-month prison sentence last September for targeting the Girls Aloud singer twice at her home last year.
In January 2024, he turned up at the singer’s gate. Speaking through the intercom system, he said: "It’s Daniel, I’ve come to get Cheryl."
He returned that July, reportedly "asking for a glass of wine."
Cole and Payne dated for two years before splitting in 2018.
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After the December incident, Cole told cops: "I knew this was Daniel because I have had previous incidents where he has come to my property. I immediately panicked and feared for my and my child’s safety. I was concerned he was looking for a way into the property.
"My son was due back from the cinema and I didn’t want him to see Daniel. I want to protect my child from any harm."
The sick stunt came just months after Payne, 31, fell to his death from a hotel room balcony in Argentina and only weeks after Cole had attended the singer's stars-studded funeral at a church in the United Kingdom.
