Closing summary
We’re closing this blog now. You can read our main report on Liam Payne’s death here:
Our tribute from music critic Alexis Petridis here:
And a look back at his life in pictures here:
We also have this report from Buenos Aires:
Updated
Payne’s former school, St Peter’s Collegiate Academy in Wolverhampton, has posted this statement on its website:
We are deeply saddened to learn of the sudden passing of our former student, Liam Payne. During his time at St Peter’s Collegiate Academy, Liam was not only well-liked by his peers and teachers but also recognised for his talents. He made a positive impact on our school community, and his contributions will be remembered.
Our thoughts are with Liam’s family and friends during this difficult time. We extend our sincere condolences to all those affected by his passing.
Former SAS: Who Dares Wins star Ant Middleton posted a tribute to Liam Payne on X.
Middleton described Payne as a “talented positive man with a good heart.”
That was some sunset you captured there mate! A talented positive man with a good heart. I’m glad our friendship flourished and that I was someone you could confine in. Your turn to look over me now bro! Luv ya and will miss you sorely… My sincere condolences to @LiamPayne… pic.twitter.com/LE9CeiqsjA
— Ant Middleton (@antmiddleton) October 17, 2024
Food bank charity Trussell has paid tribute to singer Liam Payne for his “compassion and kindness” in helping its work.
In March 2020, Payne helped provide more than 360,000 meals to people struggling as a result of the pandemic and had spoken about wanting to “play my part in finding a solution to ensure people have enough money to buy their own food - and end the need for food banks”.
Trussell chief executive Emma Revie said:
We are extremely saddened by the news of Liam Payne’s death.
Over the last four years, Liam was a generous supporter of Trussell and our community of food banks, not only funding the provision of more than 360,000 meals during Covid but also often joining us in calling for the solutions required to end the need for emergency food.
We greatly appreciate the compassion and kindness he always showed to people facing hunger and hardship. His death is a very tragic loss, and our thoughts are with his loved ones.”
West Bromwich Albion posted a picture of Payne, a “Baggies” fan.
We're shocked and saddened to learn of the passing of Baggies fan and musician, Liam Payne.
— West Bromwich Albion (@WBA) October 17, 2024
Our thoughts are with Liam's family, friends and loved ones at this tragic time. 💙🤍 pic.twitter.com/2aqUuBVQgL
Former The Xtra Factor presenter Konnie Huq said she told Liam Payne when Justin Bieber was on the show that he would “be as big as him one day” and Payne was “self-deprecating” but “absolutely did get to that level”.
She told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I actually found out last night (about his death), but ‘just a boy’ is so right, because really all he’s known in his adult, and pre-adult life as well to some extent, is being in the limelight, and, you know, thrust into this position of global fame, not just sort of being known in your own country, but everywhere, essentially.”
She added: “But I do remember we had Justin Bieber on the show, and Liam sort of had the same hairstyle, bore a striking resemblance, and so we got him to come on the show. He was really embarrassed to meet Justin.
“And then afterwards, I was like ‘You will be as big as him one day’ and he was actually kind of self-deprecating, it was quite mature of Liam, of the boys, and, you know, he absolutely did get to that level, but it’s a lot for young people to take on.
“Your brain doesn’t actually fully mature till you’re 25 and if you think he’s, you know... over 10 years before that his journey had already started, and now, with social media and the amount of news channels, you can’t escape that sort of pressure and that level of fame, which I think makes it tougher.
“We’ve always had stories of sort of massive stars dying young, but I feel that the pressure in general is more in modern living.”
Rolling Stones’ Ronnie Wood 'shocked and saddened'
The Rolling Stones’ Ronnie Wood said he was “shocked and saddened” at the news a he posted a video of him performing on X Factor with One Direction.
I am shocked and saddened to hear of the death of Liam Payne. It was a pleasure to work with him on our X Factor performance. God bless Liam, thinking of all his loved ones. He will be dearly missed.🙏 pic.twitter.com/S8y3RiJWrz
— Ronnie Wood (@ronniewood) October 17, 2024
Updated
The Press Association reports:
Payne, who was born in Wolverhampton, released his debut solo album LP1 in December 2019, which included the songs Polaroid, Familiar and Strip That Down featuring Quavo.
The song was one of two tracks that reached the top 10 in the UK official charts, alongside For You with Rita Ora from the film Fifty Shades Freed - which the duo performed at the Brit Awards in 2018.
Payne was in a high-profile relationship with Girls Aloud singer Cheryl between 2016 and 2018 and the couple had a son, Bear, in 2017.
Payne first auditioned for The X Factor in 2008 when he was 14, singing Frank Sinatra’s Fly Me To The Moon, with judge Simon Cowell telling him to return to the ITV talent show two years later.
In 2010, he impressed the judges with a rendition of Michael Buble’s Cry Me A River before being put with four other solo hopefuls at the boot camp stage of the competition - the group which later became One Direction.
In 2012, the boy band won their first Brit Award for best British single for their debut track What Makes You Beautiful, before picking up the Brit global success award a year later.
In 2014 and 2015 they also won best British video for Best Song Ever and You & I respectively.
After Malik left the band, the quartet won best artist video for Drag Me Down in 2016. They picked up the same award a year later for History.
In August 2023, Payne postponed his scheduled tour of South America after suffering a “serious kidney infection”.
He said the infection was something “I wouldn’t wish on anyone” and he had been instructed by doctors to “rest and recover”.
In October that year, he was banned from driving in the UK after admitting a speeding offence.
The singer was reportedly travelling at 43mph in a 30mph zone and was banned from driving for six months, as well as paying a fine.
In August this year, Payne was announced as a judge on a new Netflix show alongside former Destiny’s Child singer Kelly Rowland and The Pussycat Dolls star Nicole Scherzinger.
The stars were to judge attempts to create a band, looking at the contestants’ chemistry as they formed groupings in the musical competition series.
The Guardian would like to hear your memories of Liam Payne – whether you met him, or appreciated his work as a musician.
Wembley Stadium shared a picture on X of Payne performing:
We’re incredibly saddened to hear of the passing of Liam Payne.
— Wembley Stadium (@wembleystadium) October 17, 2024
Our thoughts are with Liam’s family, friends and fans 🕊️ 💔 pic.twitter.com/FhUIOVvTUX
Updated
The band McFly posted:
We’re shocked and extremely sad to wake up to the news of Liam Payne’s death. Our thoughts and love are with his family and friends at such a difficult time ❤️
— mcfly (@mcflymusic) October 17, 2024
The Foreign Office confirmed it is in contact with authorities in Argentina “regarding reports of the death of a British man”.
But a spokesman declined to comment any further, including on the identity of the man involved.
The PA news agency reports that Payne’s death comes after it was widely reported that his ex-fiancee, Maya Henry, had started legal proceedings, allegedly issuing a cease and desist letter for repeated contact.
The US model, who was engaged to Payne from August 2020 until he announced their separation in June 2021, claimed in a recent TikTok video that, since their break-up, the singer would “blow up my phone” from different numbers.
In the hours before his death, Payne reportedly posted a video on Snapchat saying: “It’s a lovely day here in Argentina.”
Updated
Backstreet Boys pay tribute
Fellow boy band the Backstreet Boys also paid tribute, saying their hearts go out to “Directioners around the world.”
Words can not express the emotions we are collectively feeling right now, and it seems like the rest of the world is in the same boat.
— Backstreet Boys (@backstreetboys) October 17, 2024
Our hearts go out to Liam’s family, friends, and Directioners around the world.
Rest in peace brother.
Updated
BBC Radio 2 DJ Zoe Ball posted on X “Devastating news”
devastating news, dear Liam Payne
— Zoe Ball (@ZoeTheBall) October 17, 2024
thoughts & love to his family, friends and fans ✨❤️🕊️ pic.twitter.com/rjHzFlY44v
The DJ and music producer Zedd, who featured alongside Payne on the 2017 song Get Low, posted a tribute to the star on X.
RIP Liam… I can’t believe this is real…
— Zedd (@Zedd) October 16, 2024
absolutely heartbreaking … 💔
Life is short and fragile…
— Zedd (@Zedd) October 16, 2024
You never know what people are going through.
We live in times where being rude, divisive and mean is normal; sometimes even celebrated. It doesn’t have to be this way.
We should do our best to be kind, supportive and mindful.
The BRIT awards posted: “We’re incredibly sad to learn of the tragic passing of Liam Payne. Our thoughts and prayers are with his friends and family at this time.”
Updated
Anne Twist, mother of former One Direction bandmate Harry Styles , posted a broken-hearted emoji on Instagram, captioning it: “Just a boy.”
Fans gather outside the Buenos Aires hotel to sing the band’s songs and light candles.
US singer Charlie Puth, a co-writer on Payne’s 2017 song Bedroom Floor, said he was in “shock” after Payne’s death.
“Liam was always so kind to me,” he posted on Instagram, alongside a collection of photos of the pair working together.
“He was one of the first major artists I got to work with. I cannot believe he is gone... I am so upset right now, may he rest in peace.”
The Wanted star Max George said he met Payne while he was competing on The X Factor with One Direction, describing his death as “absolutely devastating news”.
He wrote on Instagram:
Over the last few years I had the pleasure of getting to know him personally and spent some treasured time with him.
Liam was absolutely wonderful in terms of support when Tom (Parker) fell ill, performing at the Royal Albert Hall with us for Stand Up To Cancer.
He supported me a lot personally after Tom passed. I will never forget that.
Payne attended the funeral of Parker, who died in March 2022 at the age of 33 after being diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour.
Updated
Singer Olly Murs, who starred on The X Factor a year before One Direction, said he was “lost for words”, describing Payne’s death as “devastating” on Instagram.
Murs wrote beside a picture of the pair:
We always had a good laugh when we saw each other, sometimes the catch ups were only short and sweet but when we did it was mostly about how annoyingly good his hair always looked, or our love for Becks, the old XF (X Factor) days and the tour we shared together,” Murs wrote beside a picture of the pair.
Liam shared the same passions as me, the same dreams so to see his life now end so young hits hard, I’m truly gutted and devastated for his family and of course his son Bear losing a dad.
Updated
Liam Payne's life in pictures
A life in pictures – see here:
Updated
'Liam Payne was just getting started'
After One Direction, Liam Payne was just getting started, writes Alexis Petridis.
If a quarter of a century of reality TV talent shows has taught us anything, it’s that success in them is seldom a guarantee of lasting fame: more often than not, the celebrity is fleeting, and confined to the country of the show’s origin.
You might have predicted that outcome for One Direction. Simon Cowell claimed to have thrown the band together “in 10 minutes” from solo contestants who had failed to progress any further than the bootcamp stage of the 2010 UK X Factor – despite the fact that one of them, the Wolverhampton-born Liam Payne, had at one stage been tipped to win the series for his initial audition: a version of the old standard Cry Me A River. One Direction ended the series as runners-up, and that, you could have assumed, was that – after all, the stock of the boyband was hopelessly low at the time.
But things didn’t work out that way at all. One Direction ended up being one of the definitive pop bands of their era, shifting 70m records, and becoming the first band in the history of the US Billboard chart to see their first four albums debut at No 1. On the most basic level, they were successful because they were talented, charismatic and good looking and, more importantly, because a little more effort seemed to go into their singles from the off. Their debut, What Makes You Beautiful, was infernally catchy; it addressed their female fans with a charming positivity and was rooted in a glossy take on powerpop rather the standard boyband approach of ballad or pop-R&B. “When we heard it,” Payne noted, “it wasn’t what we expected … so it kind of fitted perfectly.”
Read more:
Updated
Here is a link to the Guardian’s story on Liam Payne’s death.
TV presenter Dermot O’Leary has recalled Liam Payne auditioning for The X Factor as a 14-year-old boy, as he paid tribute to the singer following his death.
O’Leary, who hosted The X Factor during both of Payne’s appearances, shared a photograph of the pair on stage, captioning the Instagram post: “The worst news”.
He wrote:
I remember him as a 14-year-old turning up to audition on The X Factor, and blowing us away singing Sinatra. He just loved to sing.
He was always a joy, had time for everyone, polite, grateful, and was always humble.
Updated
Hundreds of fans gather in Buenos Aires
Payne had been visiting Argentina along with his former bandmate Niall Horan, who performed at the city’s Movistar Arena on 2 October. Payne was seen dancing and singing along with Horan’s fans at the concert.
Hundreds of fans gathered outside the hotel on Wednesday evening, where police sectioned off the entrance with tape.
A quiet disbelief hung over the street. Supporters stood in shock, many of them in tears as they consoled one another. Others stared up at the hotel, of which all the curtains were closed.
“I’m feeling heartbroken. I remember when I was a kid I had a lot of bullying in my school and his songs helped. I’m devastated. I came as soon as I heard the news,” said 26-year-old fan Martina Belaustgui. “I saw him at Niall’s show a few weeks ago. He was singing and dancing and jumping.”
“I met him when I was 12. He was with his family and I asked for a picture. He was so nice. I was so shy, he tried to talk to me but I couldn’t say anything. I regret that,” said 25-year-old fan Mariana Pinto.
Updated
Liam Payne, former member of One Direction, dies aged 31
Liam Payne, a former member of the boyband One Direction, has died aged 31 after falling from a third-floor hotel room in Buenos Aires, police have confirmed.
The singer died on Wednesday at 5pm local time.
“Liam James Payne, composer and guitarist, former member of the band One Direction, died today after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Palermo,” Buenos Aires police said in a statement.
Alberto Crescenti, head of the state emergency medical system, told Argentina’s Todo Noticias TV channel that Payne had fallen into an internal courtyard at the hotel.
Candles, tears and applause in Buenos Aires as One Direction fans say farewell to Liam Payne
“A few minutes later [an] emergency team arrived and confirmed the death of this man who we later learned was from a musical group. He had injuries incompatible with life as a result of his fall. There was no way to do anything,” Crescenti said.
Crescenti said authorities were investigating the circumstances of Payne’s death and conducting an autopsy.
In a statement on Wednesday, the police said they had gone to the hotel after being notified of an “aggressive man who could be under the effects of drugs and alcohol”, according to Reuters. The hotel manager said he heard a loud noise at the back of the hotel, and when police arrived they found that a man had fallen over the balcony in his room, the statement said.
