Cheryl and Liam Payne made a red carpet appearance on Wednesday at the 2018 Brit Awards, days after rumours of a split surfaced.
There, they walked arm in arm and posed for pictures grinning at each other – and later made everyone uncomfortable when they joked about their sex life – but what does their body language really tell us?
Author & body language expert Judi James reveals all…
Some of the most gruesome red carpet poses come when a celebrity couple turn out to quash rumours about their relationship.
But although Cheryl and Liam were clearly intent on emphatically signaling a united and loving front, there were still enough signs of tension in their body language to suggest the kind of pressure that they must currently feel themselves to be under as an otherwise very private couple.
Just as she did at the beginning of their relationship, it was Cheryl seeming to take charge of the choreography here while Liam stood beside her looking shy and at times uncomfortable.
Their smiles often looked stretched and rigid and Cheryl had to whisper in Liam’s ear on one occasion to ensure his open-mouthed grin was re-booted. 
Cheryl’s raised head and upright posture looked defiant (Picture: Rex)
Clutching a single rose, Cheryl’s raised head and upright posture looked defiant as she stood alongside her man and smiled widely at the cameras, and she face-checked Liam throughout as though trying to reassure him.
Her eye-gazing looked flirty but then almost maternal at times too, as though she was keen to check he was coping okay with the rather awkward occasion.
Liam’s face did drop a couple of times and his hand stuffed into his pocket suggested a suppressed desire to hide,and although they did walk hand in hand, it was actually more of a rather tentative-looking wrist clasp from Liam.
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