Former One Direction member Liam Payne tragically passed away at the age of 31 after a fall from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Authorities in Argentina are set to carry out an autopsy to investigate the circumstances leading up to the pop star’s sudden death.
The sad news was delivered to viewers of BBC Breakfast by Naga Munchetty and Ben Thompson on Thursday (October 17) morning, which led into an insightful segment with BBC’s Culture and Media Editor Katie Razzall to discuss Payne’s premature demise.
Commenting on the stark realities faced by band members post-fame, Katie remarked: “You’ve got to always feel sorry for the band members that don’t reach the heights of fame, often one of them does. You can sort of see it happened a bit with Take That with Robbie Williams going off and then becoming a very successful solo artist. The same, of course, happened to Harry Styles. He just went from strength to strength after leaving One Direction.”
She also touched upon Payne’s endeavors following the band’s split: “The other band members have toured and had some hits, including Liam Payne. In 2017, he released his single Strip That Down, written by Ed Sheeran, and in fact when the bad split there was a thought he might become a full-time songwriter.”, reports Birmingham Live.
Razzall spoke of Payne’s career trajectory and the challenges he faced, including his personal battles: “His debut album came out in 2019 to fairly mixed reviews and then a song he released last year didn’t make the charts so he was having a difficult time in the last few years it appears, and he has talked about his struggles with addiction and alcohol.”
Devastated fans have been convening outside the hotel to pay homage to the late singer. They have been lighting candles, softly singing tunes from One Direction, or standing in silent homage.
Celebrities including Liam Gallagher, X Factor’s own Dermot O’Leary, and TV star Rylan who previously competed have all offered their respects.
Anne Twist, mother to Harry Styles, Payne’s ex-bandmate, shared an emotional tribute on Instagram: “Just a boy.”
Liam catapulted to stardom after competing in The X Factor’s fifth series back in 2010, where he was grouped with Harry, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik to form One Direction.
Subsequently, they ascended to global fame as one of the most successful boybands ever, selling over 70 million records worldwide and filling stadiums with adoring fans. Notably, Liam welcomed his son Bear Payne in 2017 with Cheryl, the Girls Aloud singer.
BBC Breakfast airs daily on BBC One at 6am