Liam Payne thanked his son Bear for changing his life after revealing that he spent some time at a wellness clinic in the US last year.
The former One Direction star's time out of the spotlight comes after the 29-year-old made a slew of controversial comments on a podcast with YouTuber Logan Paul. In the episode, which went viral on social media, the singer said the birth of his son "ruined his relationship" with former girlfriend Cheryl, and made surprising revelations about his One Direction bandmates.
Reflecting on his podcast appearance in a candid YouTube video, Liam admitted that he "didn't recognise himself" and found the podcast "hard to watch back."
The backlash led the star to check into a US wellness clinic, where he underwent a 100-day detox from his phone.
© GettyLooking healthier than ever, the father-of-one made extremely rare comments about his six-year-old son Bear, whom he shares with his former X Factor flame, Cheryl.
Speaking in the YouTube clip, he said: "Time with Bear’s been really, really great.
"More than anything, I want to say thank you to him and his mum [Cheryl] for giving me a little bit of freedom to go and get well at that moment because I had to."
© GettyLiam added that his son is "awesome" and even praised his former girlfriend Cheryl for "coming to his rescue" when he needed it, as well as former bandmates Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Zayn Malik.
"There’s no point trying to be a dad when you’ve got nothing to teach and I don’t think up until this point I really had much to say to him other than just caring for him very deeply and loving him deeply, which is obviously the most important thing," he added.
© InstagramBear may only be six, but he's already correcting his dad's spelling, according to the Strip That Down singer.
"[Bear] actually texted me the other day from his iPad saying, 'Hello, Dad.'" Liam responded with "'ello," to which his six-year-old replied: "'No, no, it's not ello it's hello with an H'. So, he’s learning really quickly."
© InstagramThe star added: "He's far smarter than I think I’ll ever be. He’s a wonder, but he’s definitely learning to talk at this moment in time and it’s a lot of fun to be around to watch him grow."
© GettyCheryl and Liam ended their two-year relationship in 2019, sharing with fans at the time: "We are sad to announce that we are going our separate ways. It's been a tough decision for us to make.
"We still have so much love for each other as a family. Bear is our world and we ask that you respect his privacy as we navigate our way through this together." Liam posted an identical message on his own Twitter account.
