Liam Payne gushes over his girlfriend, "dream girl" Cheryl Cole, in the latest issue of the U.K.'s Rollacoaster magazine.

In his cover story, the One Direction star opens up about life with Cole, telling the publication, "This is the thing. In a non-cliché way, it's weird waking up every day and literally living out your dream. Obviously I have the most beautiful girlfriend in the world, and she’s absolutely amazing."

The pair first met in 2008, when Payne, 14 at the time, auditioned for the X Factor U.K. while Cole was a judge on the show alongside Simon Cowell. It took years before the two would reunite and fall in love. As the boy bander tells it, the Girls Aloud pop star had "been his dream girl since he was younger."

"She is a wonderful, wonderful person, and it's amazing to have someone who can relate to so much of things—someone who’s taken greater steps than me," Payne adds, sharing how they connect as music artists. "Her solo career was amazing. She's been in the industry for 14 years now!"

As for those pregnancy rumors, Payne wouldn't confirm they are expecting together. He did, however, indicate that the couple is going through something very special at the moment.

"We're super happy," he says. "It's a very personal, precious time for us. I'm still learning. I’m only 23."

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