Perrie Edwards has opened up about the one person who helped her after her very difficult split with Zayn Malik.
Just last month, Perrie spoke on Paul Brunson’s We Need To Talk podcast about escaping a “toxic” first love that left her feeling she “didn’t want to meet anybody” again. She also admitted Zayn even reached out to her years after their split, which left her “panicking” as she had just started dating footballer Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Now, in a new interview with The i Paper, the Little Mix star shared how she actually got through that difficult time, thanks to Cheryl.
‘I had a lot of demons, a lot of sh*t to deal with’
via Perrie Edwards/Instagram
Perrie, who got engaged to Zayn in 2013 before they split two years later, said the breakup was especially tough behind the scenes. “I had a lot of demons, a lot of sh*t to deal with,” she explained. “But for me sometimes coping with it under the radar is a bit easier. [Girls Aloud’s] Cheryl was my agony aunt.”
The two singers struck up a friendship when Cheryl mentored Perrie and the rest of Little Mix on The X Factor. Both from Newcastle, they bonded quickly. And Cheryl’s own experience with high-profile breakups meant she understood what Perrie was going through.
Perrie has since praised Cheryl for being a true friend during that period. Speaking to The Sun on Sunday at the time, she said, “Cheryl is incredible. She has been a very good friend to me, particularly recently. She is the nicest person in the world. And she knows what we’ve gone through and has great advice.”
Looking back, Perrie admitted she thought toxic behaviour was “normal” because it was her first relationship. But with the support of Cheryl and her Little Mix bandmates, she was able to move forward.
Today, Perrie is happily engaged to Alex and expecting her second child, but she’s never forgotten how Cheryl stepped in when she needed it most.
For more like this, like The Tab on Facebook. Featured image credit: Zayn Malik/Instagram.
