LONDON, Feb 27 — Cheryl Fernandez-Versini and One Direction’s Liam Payne are secretly dating, UK’s The Sun newspaper sensationally claimed in a front-page report today.

If the allegations are true, this will be the latest May-December romance in UK entertainment circles after Kylie Minogue’s engagement to actor Joshua Sasse, who is 19 years the pop singer’s junior.

It is claimed that the 32-year-old former Girls Aloud singer and 22-year-old boy band member have been conducting a clandestine romance since December.

The report added that the pair grew close after Fernandez-Versini decided to divorce her husband, Jean-Bernard.

The Sun quoted “a friend of the pair” as revealing: “Cheryl and Liam are in a relationship. It was unexpected but they’ve both made each other incredibly happy.”

The source continued, “They’ve always got on well and share many of the same interests, but there was never anything romantic between them in the past.

“Their relationship developed very quickly in December after the X Factor final where One Direction gave their final performance before starting their hiatus. Liam is madly in love. This is the real deal.” 

Fernandez-Versini married footballer Ashley Cole in 2007, but the union ended in divorce after three and a half years.

In July 2014, she announced her surprise marriage to Frenchman Jean-Bernard, whom she had been dating for just three months.

It was recently claimed that she is seeking a divorce.

Meanwhile, Payne was in a long-term relationship with girlfriend Sophia Smith, but they separated in December 2015.