Liam Payne's family struggle

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Liam Payne struggled to find his "role" in raising his son.

The 26-year-old singer and his then-partner Cheryl welcomed Bear into the world in March 2017 and though the former One Direction star had always wanted to be a young dad, he found it "difficult" at first, but eventually felt looking after the 'Call My Name' hitmaker "made sense" as the best way of looking after his family.

He said: "I built it up so much in my head. Finding your feet in that relationship between child and father - it's difficult.

"Cheryl was always really glued to Bear, so for me, I was like, 'What's my role in this? If I cook and look after her, then in turn I'm looking after him' - that made sense to me."

The 'Strip That Down' hitmaker's career means he goes weeks without seeing his son and while that is "always difficult", he's grateful technology means he can retain contact with Bear.

He told The Guardian newspaper: "He's good at using the phone and FaceTime."

At the height of One Direction's fame, Liam turned to alcohol to cope with the long periods of boredom between shows because he and his bandmates were rarely able to leave their hotels without being mobbed.

He said: "Doing a show to however many thousands of people, then being stuck by yourself in a country where you can't go out anywhere - what else are you going to do? The minibar is always there. "

The 'Stack It Up' singer also took an epilepsy medication to act as a mood stabiliser and counter the "erratic highs and lows" he was experiencing, but found it had some unwanted side effects.

He said: "I just needed a little bit of help to keep me stable... But under certain lights on stage or during interviews, I wouldn't be able to tell them my name."