Kelsey Parker reveals how Liam Payne supported her late husband Tom

Kelsey Parker   opened up about the tragic loss of Liam Payne and how he supported her late husband Tom, as she attended the Pride Of Britain Awards on Monday evening.

The mother of two shared a heartfelt message about grief after the One Direction star died aged 31 falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires.

Kelsey is sadly familiar with loss as her husband Tom Parker passed away aged 33 in 2022 after a battle with brain cancer.

Speaking to The Mirror on the red carpet at the event, the mother-of-two said: ‘It’s a massive loss. 

‘When we said we wanted to do the Stand Up To Cancer gig, Liam reached out to us straight away and said he wanted to do it. He also came to Tom’s funeral.’

Offering advice to those struggling with the sad loss of Liam, she quipped: ‘I think you have to take each day as it comes. Grief doesn’t get any easier, you learn to live with it. You have to take your time.’

It comes just after Kelsey showed solidarity with Cheryl and her son Bear, who recently opened up about her pain that her seven-year-old boy has to grow up without his father.  

Reaching out to Cheryl, Kelsey – who has children Aurelia and Bodhi with the late The Wanted Singer – uploaded a touching poem to Instagram, which is written from the viewpoint of a child grieving their father.

The heart-wrenching verse reads: ‘Dear daddy, you told me that you always be watching me from the sky. 

‘Today I am here looking for the most shiniest star that would be you looking at me. Daddy if I could have one wish it would be to have you here with me, to tell you how much I miss you, to tell you what a great daddy you were and to wish that you would never leave me again. I love you daddy.’

Kelsey’s fans were quick to offer their sympathies for the mum, as well as share their distress at both Liam and Tom’s children having to grow up without their fathers.

Kelsey also shared her support for Cheryl on Friday as she shared the Call My Name hitmaker’s agonising post alongside broken heart emojis.

Meanwhile, the mum-of-two paid tribute to Liam on the Mum’s The Word podcast this week, where she called the singer a ‘good soul’ after he supported her during husband Tom’s illness.

She explained: ‘When Tom got sick it really resonated with Liam and he reached out, he was really there for Tom – we did this whole massive gig for Stand Up To Cancer and we raised over a million pounds and Liam actually came and performed at that.

‘And when Tom passed Liam came to Tom’s funeral and, you know, when you just think about someone ‘you’re a good soul’ – he didn’t need to come to Tom’s funeral. 

‘He felt that he needed to be there he was so supportive, he always used to reach out to me, ‘Kels I can see that you’re doing so well’. He always checked in.’

Cheryl 41, paid tribute to Liam on Friday and spoke of her ‘indescribable pain’ over telling their seven-year-old son Bear his father had passed away.

Cheryl was in a relationship with Liam for two years, with the pair welcoming their child, Bear Grey, into the world on March 22, 2017. They split a year later.

The grieving mother took to Instagram telling of her anguish as she tries ‘navigate this earth shattering event’.

Her statement read: ‘As I try to navigate this earth shattering event, and work through my own grief at this indescribably painful time. 

‘I’d like to kindly remind everyone that we have lost a human being.

‘Liam was not only a pop star and celebrity, he was a son, a brother, an uncle, a dear friend and a father to our seven year old son.

‘A son that now has to face the reality of never seeing his father again.’

The singer’s family paid tribute to the 31-year-old on Thursday. They said they were ‘heartbroken’ following his death, adding: ‘Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul.’