Cheryl’s heartbreaking response when she told me about her drug-addict brother. He’s just been given his 44th conviction and is living behind a Morrisons, says KATIE HIND – now friends tell me about her ‘unimaginable’ problem

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In 2006, Cheryl Tweedy married soccer player Ashley Cole with her mother and siblings there to support her.

This felt like another surreal moment for her, following her rise to fame with the pop group Girls Aloud. It was a remarkable journey, taking her from a modest background in Newcastle all the way to success and wealth.

Only four years before, she was just a regular person competing on the ITV reality show, Popstars: The Rivals.

Oh my gosh, seeing her arrive was like something out of a dream! There she was, pulled up in a horse-drawn carriage, looking absolutely breathtaking in this incredible Roberto Cavalli gown. It was seriously a fairytale unfolding right before my eyes, and honestly, for her, it really felt like one!

Cheryl’s 2006 wedding celebration at Wrotham Park in Hertfordshire was full of famous faces. Her bridesmaids were her Girls Aloud bandmates – Nicola Roberts, Kimberley Walsh, Nadine Coyle, and the late Sarah Harding – and Ashley’s teammates from both Arsenal and the England national team were also in attendance.

For the 42-year-old singer, her wedding was mainly a family affair. However, the joy of the occasion was tinged with sadness, as her brother Andrew couldn’t be there.

She hadn’t rejected him; in fact, she wished he could be with her. However, he was in prison serving a four-year sentence for a violent robbery.

This meant Andrew was unable to be with his mother, Joan, or his brothers and sister, Joe, Gillian, and Garry, to celebrate Cheryl’s joy.

Friends of Cheryl said she was deeply upset at the time, to the point where she pleaded with Andrew to reconsider his behavior just before her wedding.

A friend of the star shared that she was deeply saddened by Andrew’s absence. Even though Cheryl had moved on and built a new life, she still cared about her family. Despite the difficulties Andrew caused during her childhood, she hoped he would be present.

She was deeply upset and frustrated that he was in prison again, even years ago. It was a recurring source of pain for her.

Now that he was gone, she could finally relax and enjoy her day without fearing any problems with him.

She visited him in prison right before her wedding, feeling obligated to do so, but he didn’t seem to listen to her requests or arguments.

Andrew’s difficult situation resurfaced this week with photos showing him living in a tent behind a Morrisons supermarket in Jarrow, South Tyneside. He first became homeless in 2021 and has struggled with addiction to alcohol and drugs.

He admitted to being drunk and causing a disturbance outside the Morrisons store on February 25th, and appeared in court last month to plead guilty.

Officers responded to reports of a man yelling and using abusive language towards customers. When they approached him, he became hostile, telling them to leave and challenging their authority.

The court learned that this man had been convicted of 115 crimes – this was his 44th conviction overall. He previously received a six-year prison sentence for armed robbery, and this contributed to his extensive criminal record.

He explained to the court that he was seeking assistance and had returned to live with his family in Heaton, Newcastle.

He explained that he’s working on improving his life and resolving his issues, and while it’s a journey, he’s only just begun.

Andrew was handed a six-month conditional discharge and was ordered to pay £113.

Speaking to The Sun, Andrew, 45, said: ‘I have been in rehab three times but I’m not going back.

‘I am one of those people that take one step forward and ten steps back. Every time.’

It’s unclear how Cheryl feels about the recent photos, but she dedicated years to finding long-term help for him.

She repeatedly offered to cover the cost of rehab, but he wouldn’t accept. Even Ashley Cole tried to persuade him to get help before his divorce from Cheryl in 2010, recognizing the pain he was causing her.

I saw first-hand what Andrew’s plight meant to her.

Before 2008, when news came out that Ashley had been unfaithful with Aimee Walton, Cheryl was much more open with the media. Back then, we often talked about family and our siblings.

I also collect things, and she was always so nice – she even offered to get tickets to see Girls Aloud for my little sisters.

Back in 2006, she talked about Andrew and how much she was struggling with his issues. She usually had a cheerful personality, but at that moment, she seemed very sad and on the verge of tears.

A friend of Cheryl’s says she felt helpless to help Andrew get his life together. Despite having plenty of money, which often can solve problems, she couldn’t make a difference in his situation.

She repeatedly tried to reason with him, but he refused to listen. Desperate, she even considered visiting him in prison and pleading with him, but nothing she did could change his mind.

She repeatedly tried to help, but he insisted he was beyond saving. Cheryl was frequently upset, not because of money, but simply because she wanted her brother to be well.

‘She was devastated that she couldn’t make that happen.’

Today, I understand, there is ‘very, very little contact’ with Andrew. ‘If any,’ adds a source.

‘Cheryl gave it her all, he didn’t want to be helped.’

Everyone was so heartbroken to hear about Liam Payne’s passing earlier this year. As a long-time supporter of Cheryl, it really hit me hard, especially knowing how much it must have affected her and their son, Bear, after two wonderful years together. It’s a sad reminder that even though she always seems so strong and successful, life hasn’t always been easy for her, and she’s faced her share of pain.

I’ve always known Andrew struggled, it was just part of who he was. But honestly, it broke my heart seeing how much it affected Cheryl’s mom. Those two are incredibly close, and she really felt his pain deeply.

‘From the outside she had it all, but there was this niggling, horrible problem in her life.’

People tell me Andrew really impacted Cheryl’s early life. Growing up on the Byker council estate in Newcastle with her mum, Joan, and dad, Garry Tweedy, wasn’t easy, and apparently, Andrew caused a lot of pain during those years. It’s heartbreaking to think about, honestly.

Her life had been difficult, and in her 2012 autobiography, she described the event that caused Andrew’s life to fall apart.

My brother, Andrew, came bursting through the front door, incredibly angry. I’d never seen him like that before, and he immediately started yelling at our parents, according to what I wrote.

My dad suddenly became quiet, and it really worried me. The room felt tense and full of energy. Then, Andrew shouted at our mum, demanding to know if my dad was actually his father. Someone had told him outside that my dad wasn’t related to him.

Cheryl recalled that when she was 11, her mother told her siblings and her around the kitchen table about meeting their father: ‘I was only 21 years old when we first got together.’

Mom glanced at my dad, indicating she was referring to him. ‘I already had Joe,’ she said, then looked at Gillian and Andrew, pointedly excluding me from the statement.

Andrew went off the rails, and Cheryl’s parents later split up.

According to a source, police were often called to the house, sometimes even having to force their way in. Cheryl, who was a teenager at the time, was deeply troubled by Andrew’s actions and couldn’t sleep worrying about them. It was a terrifying experience for her, and she was devastated watching her mother suffer.

Today, Cheryl is ‘super close’ to her youngest brother Garry.

He visited the Port Lympne animal reserve in Kent with her and her nephew, Bear, in January. However, he’s consistently been the sibling seen with her most often.

In 2011, he accompanied Cheryl to the US when she moved for the X Factor and offered her support after Simon Cowell let her go.

She’s very fond of her older brother, Joe, who used to work at the Nissan plant in Sunderland and has six children that Cheryl often said she was close to.

Actually, seeing those children made her tell me she’d always wanted to be a young mother. However, that dream ended when she divorced Ashley after discovering he had been unfaithful repeatedly.

It’s unclear if she’s romantically involved with Gillian, who generally avoids public attention. Gillian has shared controversial views online, including posts against traditional institutions, vaccines, and denying the severity of COVID-19. Her social media activity also indicates support for Andrew Tate, a well-known and controversial online personality.

A friend of Cheryl’s says she remains deeply connected to her roots. Despite raising her son on her own, without his father present, she feels confident she did everything she could for Andrew, and that’s what matters most to her.

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2026-04-11 03:37