Behind Closed Doors of Singer Cheryl's 'Total Agony' After Stalker Nightmare and Ongoing Liam Payne Grief

Cheryl is said to be enduring "total agony" behind closed doors as the recall to prison of her stalker revives a trauma friends tell OK! has permanently altered her sense of safety – compounding her ongoing grief following the death of former partner Liam Payne.

The Girls Aloud singer, 42, has faced repeated breaches of a restraining order by Daniel Bannister, a convicted killer who has turned up at her home multiple times since early 2024.

Bannister was jailed for one year last September after violating court orders within weeks of a previous release. In December 2024 – just three weeks after Payne's funeral – he rang her doorbell again.

Cheryl, who had her now 8-year-old son Bear with Payne, previously told the court she felt "on edge" and "fearing for her safety."

She said: "Each time he returns, the worry of his intentions intensifies. I'm worried, nervous and on edge every time I open my gate. Daniel has made my young child scared. I want to protect my child from any harm."

An insider close to Cheryl said the latest recall to custody has brought relief but also reopened wounds.

The source said: "Cheryl has told friends that this hasn't been a chapter she can simply close – it's altered her at a foundational level. The way she navigates everyday life now is different. Simple routines that once felt automatic – answering the door, stepping outside, letting her son play in the garden – are all filtered through an added layer of caution. It isn't a case of feeling frightened only when there's a court date or a headline. The anxiety hums in the background all the time. Even during quiet evenings at home, when logically she knows everything is secure, her body doesn't fully relax. There's a sense of always being on standby, as though something could intrude without warning."

"She's described it as living in a state of low-grade alert. Outwardly she carries on – she works, she socializes, she shows up for her son – but internally she's constantly scanning for risk. That persistent tension is exhausting. It's changed how freely she inhabits her own space, and that's been one of the hardest things for her to come to terms with," the insider added.

Bannister first appeared at Cheryl's property in January 2024, announcing: "It's Daniel, I've come to get Cheryl."

Months later, in July, he returned and asked for a glass of wine. He was subsequently jailed for 16 weeks and given an indefinite restraining order, yet continued breaches led to further custodial sentences.

According to one insider, the cumulative impact has been profound on Cheryl.

They added: "She's become incredibly alert to every detail around her – checking locks more than once, reviewing camera footage, varying her schedule so she's not predictable. Things that used to be mundane parts of daily life now feel loaded with significance. She notices every creak of the house, every car slowing outside, every unfamiliar face. Loud or unexpected noises can instantly spike her anxiety. It's a reflex now, not something she consciously chooses. Even when she rationally knows there's no immediate threat, her nervous system reacts first. That's what prolonged stress does – it wires you differently."

"And the reality is, someone being back in custody doesn't magically undo that conditioning. The fear doesn't evaporate with a prison sentence. It embeds itself in how you think, how you sleep, how you move through your own home. Trauma has a way of settling into the background of your life and subtly altering it, day after day. It really is total agony for her," they continued.