Lioness star Beth Mead's first 'crush' Cheryl gave her 'sexual awakening'

England star Beth Mead has opened up and admitted that former Girls Aloud singer and X Factor judge Cheryl provided her with a 'sexual awakening' and helped her realise she was gay

Posted Sunday, November 13, 2022 by Dailystar.co.uk

England star Beth Mead has admitted that her very first crush was Girls Aloud singer and former X Factor judge Cheryl Tweedy - saying that the artist gave her a 'sexual awakening'.

In her book exclusively, revealed to the Mirror, the Lioness player said that he initially struggled with her feelings early on, but says that the former WAG was special to her.

In her biography, Lioness: My Journey To Glory, Beth writes: “I probably should have realised that I was gay a little bit sooner than I did. I was a big Girls Aloud fan, but Cheryl was special to me.

“Back then, I thought she was just someone I looked up to, someone to be interested in outside of football. I liked her music, her clothes, her whole vibe.

“Was it a crush? Was it my sexual awakening? Was it just a phase? It’s hard to know.”

Tweedy shot to fame in 2002 after winning a place in Girls Aloud in then-hit ITV show Popstars: The Rivals.

Lioness star Beth Mead's first 'crush' Cheryl gave her 'sexual awakening'

In 2006 she became engaged to former Arsenal and Chelsea defender Ashley Cole - hitting the headlines when she attended that year’s World Cup with the likes of Coleen Rooney and Victoria Beckham.

Beth says in her memoir, published by Seven Dials, that she was unsure about her thoughts at the time, but now knows what she is.

“Looking back now, I can see that I might have liked her in that way, but I didn’t think too deeply about it at the time.”

The forward, who is now in a relationship with fellow Arsenal star Vivianne Miedema, continued: “I’ve noticed I tend to get particularly emotional and angry in a game with the person I’m with.

“I’ve always said you take things out on the person you care about most. Luckily for Viv, that’s her.”