Simon Cowell has paid tribute to Liam Payne, following the singer’s tragic death aged 31 (Image: Getty)Simon Cowell has paid tribute to Liam Payne, following the singer’s tragic death aged 31 after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, this week. In an emotional tribute, Simon, 65, wrote: “You never really know how you feel about someone until a moment like this happens. Liam, I am truly devastated. Heartbroken. And I feel empty. And I want you to know how much love and respect I have for you. Every tear I have shed is a memory of you. “This is so difficult to put into words right now. I went outside today, and I thought about so many times we had together. I wanted to let you know what I would always say to the thousands of people who would always ask me. What is Liam like? And I would tell them that you were kind, funny, sweet, thoughtful, talented, humble, focused. And how much you loved music. And how much love you genuinely had for the fans.”
Simon Cowell has paid tribute to Liam Payne
(Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images)
Simon Cowell poses with One Direction
(Image: PA)
In the tribute, Simon continued: “I had to tell you when you were 14 that this wasn’t your time. And we both made a promise that we would meet again. A lot of people would have given up. You didn’t. You came back and within months the whole world knew Liam. And you never forgot the fans. I watched you spending so much time with people who had wanted to meet you. You really cared.” Reminiscing on seeing Liam last year, the Britain’s Got Talent judge wrote: “You came to see me last year. Not for a meeting. Just to sit and talk. And we reminisced about all of the fun times we had together. And how proud you were to be a Dad. After you left, I was reminded that you were still the sweet, kind boy I had met all of those years ago. I have met your son Bear. He has your smile and that twinkle in his eyes you have. And he will be so proud of everything you achieved. And how you achieved it. Emotionally concluding, he penned: “I always thought of you 5 in the band as brothers. And regarding their messages today I believe you were. And now Liam, I can see the effect you’ve had on so many people. Because you left us too soon. “Rest in peace my friend. And I am sending my love, thoughts and prayers to your family,” he wrote before signing off: “Simon x”.
Liam rose to fame after appearing on The X Factor, where he was put into the group One Direction
(Image: Ken McKay/Talkback Thames/REX/Shutterstock)
One Direction said in a joint statement that they were “completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing”
(Image: Getty Images)
Liam shot to fame as part of boy band One Direction in 2010, alongside Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Harry Styles, after they individually auditioned for The X Factor. Show judges Simon and Nicole Scherzinger put them together to form the chart-topping band. Liam first auditioned for The X Factor in 2008 when he was 14, singing Frank Sinatra’s Fly Me To The Moon, with an impressed Simon telling him to return to the ITV talent show two years later, and he did to huge success after becoming part of One Direction. Following the tragic news of Liam’s death, Simon postponed Thursday’s Britain’s Got Talent auditions as a mark of respect. Applause store, who organise tickets for the filming of the series, announced: “Due to the tragic passing of Liam Payne, BGT has decided to postpone today’s auditions in Blackpool. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.” Liam’s death has rocked the music world and left his band mates “devastated”. On Thursday, the band members said in a joint statement that they were “completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing.” Since then, the singers have individually paid tribute to Liam, who they described as their brother and friend. Today, Niall Horan paid a touching tribute, saying he did not realise when he last saw him he would be saying “goodbye forever”. Sign up to OK!’s daily newsletter to get updates sent to your inbox for free Niall said he will “cherish every moment” he had with his bandmate “forever” after they rose to global stardom together. “I’m absolutely devastated about the passing of my amazing friend, Liam. It just doesn’t feel real”, he wrote in an Instagram post alongside a photo of the singer giving Payne a piggyback ride in their younger days. “Liam had an energy for life and a passion for work that was infectious. He was the brightest in every room and always made everyone feel happy and secure. “All the laughs we had over the years, sometimes about the simplest of things, keep coming to mind through the sadness.
Niall Horan shared a sweet photo with Liam Payne as he paid tribute to his ‘amazing friend’
(Image: Instagram/Niall Horan)
“We got to live out our wildest dreams together and I will cherish every moment we had forever. The bond and friendship we had doesn’t happen often in a lifetime.” Liam was spotted dancing at Niall’s concert around two weeks ago at the Movistar Arena alongside his girlfriend Kate Cassidy. Niall continued: “I feel so fortunate that I got to see him recently. I sadly didn’t know that after saying goodbye and hugging him that evening, I would be saying goodbye forever. It’s heartbreaking.” The singer also sent his “love and condolences” to Liam’s family and his seven year old son Bear, who he shared with Girls Aloud singer Cheryl. He signed off the statement saying: “Thank you for everything, Payno. Love you brother. Nialler.” A statement from Liam’s devastated family, issued via a spokeswoman to the PA news agency said: “We are heartbroken. Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul. We are supporting each other the best we can as a family and ask for privacy and space at this awful time.”Story SavedYou can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterCommentMore OnHarry StylesLiam PayneLouis TomlinsonNiall HoranNicole ScherzingerSimon CowellZayn MalikOne DirectionThe X Factor
