Rita Ora: I never meant for Liam Payne duet to cause any trouble for him and Cheryl

Ora said her only goal was to promote the single
Controversy: Liam Payne and Rita Ora performing their single
Theo Wargo/Getty
Alistair Foster18 June 2018
The Weekender

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Rita Ora has spoken for the first time about the duet with Liam Payne that fuelled rumours he had split up with his partner Cheryl.

Ora, 27, said she never wanted to cause controversy with the performance of For You, the official single for the latest Fifty Shades film, on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon in the US.

A subsequent performance at the Brit Awards — with Cheryl, 34, in the audience — featured toned-down choreography.

Last year Payne, 24, formerly of One Direction, and Cheryl welcomed a son, Bear. He has admitted to ES Magazine that they have been through a “tense” patch.

In character: Rita Ora in Fifty Shades Freed
Universal Pictures

Ora said she deliberately kept quiet during the “difficult situation”. “Just imagine being the person in that situation,” she said. “I obviously tried to respect Cheryl and everything that was going down at the time.

“I was very professional, as was Liam, and I completely stayed out of it. We had one goal — to promote the single, and we did just that.”

Tense patch: Cheryl and Liam Payne were plagued with rumours of a split
Splash News

Ora plays Christian Grey’s adopted sister Mia in the big-screen adaptations of E L James’s erotic bestsellers.

Ora said it was “about f****** time” that movie producers had also handed her the lead song, because she had been sending them ideas for years. Ellie Goulding scored a worldwide hit when Love Me Like You Do was chosen as the original movie’s lead track.

Happy ending: Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan in Fifty Shades Freed

A List joined Ora in the French Riviera, where Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson filmed the scenes for Christian and Ana Grey’s honeymoon in the third instalment of the film.

She said: “Getting the soundtrack came in very last minute — actually when we were filming. I’d sent the song in months in advance, and they eventually came back and said they couldn’t get it out of their heads. They said it was the strongest contender and I was like, ‘It’s about f****** time! I’ve only been asking you for five years!’”

Ora began her showbiz career as an actress, attending the Sylvia Young Theatre School in Marylebone, and making her first TV appearance aged 13. She said: “I really could have become an actress if I’d continued doing auditions but the music kicked off first and I just went with it.

Living the billionaire Playboy life

A List  joined Rita Ora as we visited locations seen in the opening scenes of Fifty Shades Freed, where main characters Christian and Anastasia Grey are seen enjoying their luxurious honeymoon.

We stayed at the exquisite Grand-Hotel du Cap-Ferrat in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat on the French Riviera.

The trip took in dinner at the famous Nikki Beach in Monte Carlo and a visit to the Casino de Monte Carlo. Then it was on to the beautiful medieval castle Roquebrune-Cap-Martin where Christian and Ana are seen with their arms around each other as they look out over the breathtaking views of Monte Carlo.

Things were rounded off with a private party on Paloma Beach, where Christian and Anastasia are seen having their first tiff as a married couple.

Unfortunately, unlike in the movie, there was no multi-million pound yacht waiting for us off-shore, but by this point I’d experienced enough to convince me that being a billionaire playboy is a pretty attractive career option.

“It’s definitely a different kind of kick. With music you see the fan love and it’s an instant reaction. With movies it’s about half a year before they come out and even then you don’t get to witness people’s reactions in the theatres.

“But movies, I’d love to do more once my next album is out and the tour is done. I’ll still do cameos here and there, like I have just filmed the Pokémon movie.”

Ora, who is dating US musician Andrew Wyatt, confessed she is “scared” by the effect of social media and technology on young people and tries to use it responsibly.

“I use it, I control it, to connect with my fans. I use it to express my individuality and if I get a pretty picture of myself I’ll put it up,” Ora said. “I think there are worse people to worry about on social media than me.” She added: “Times are changing and I feel like there are some kids that don’t know any different. There are kids that don’t know what it’s like to not have an iPhone. That scares me a little bit.”

Cheryl and Liam Payne - In pictures

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Fifty Shades Freed is available on digital, 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD now​

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