Cheryl Fernandez-Versini hits back at haters over Liam Payne romance

Cheryl Fernandez-Versini has hit back at the haters on Twitter, urging critics to check their facts before "forming an opinion". The X Factor judge faced a backlash from Directioners after rumours surfaced that she is dating singer Liam Payne.

The pair have been teasing selfies together, appearing to confirm reports of their blossoming romance. Reacting to the interest in her love life and speculation about the identity of the new man in her life, the 32-year-old posted an image of a line-up of suspects, including Liam Payne. She captioned the photo: "My mystery man line up #whosthemysteryman #whoisit #whosworthit."

The picture was quickly followed by a photo of the rumoured couple looking loved-up on the back seat of a car. As speculation continued Cheryl later tweeted: "Number 1 Tip ..! Always collect ALL your information and facts before forming an opinion !"

While Simon Cowell is believed to have played matchmaker for the couple, the music mogul's ex and close friend Sinitta seemed to hint that there were signs of a blossoming romance. The So Macho singer was behind-the-scenes during One Direction's last performance on The X Factor in December. Describing the moment Liam and Cheryl came face-to-face she told the Daily Star: "Cheryl came in and said 'Hello'. Liam was like a schoolboy afterwards going: 'Wow. It's Cheryl.'"

The pair are believed to have struck up a romance a short time later after Cheryl split from her husband Jean Bernard Fernandez-Versini. They reportedly escaped to a remote island on the Maldives for a private break in February and have since been described as being "madly in love."

Liam seemed to confirm they are indeed a couple, posting a selfie of the two of them together on Instagram and changing his profile bio to read simply "Happy."