Liam Payne death latest: Six of One Direction star’s songs to enter charts after singer dies in Buenos Aires

Former X Factor contestant Katie Waissel, who appeared in the same series as Liam Payne and his One Direction bandmates, has hit out at show creator Simon Cowell following the singer’s death.

Payne died in a fall from the third-floor balcony of a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Wednesday 16 October. Local authorities are carrying out an autopsy, with the preliminary results released yesterday (17 October).

Waissel shared a lengthy statement upon the news of Payne’s death, calling him her “dear friend” and her “confident”, who offered her support during some of her “darkest moments” while on The X Factor.

“Liam was kind, with a pure heart, a sharp mind, and the wisdom of an old soul,” she said. “His warmth and compassion left a lasting impact on everyone who had the privilege of knowing him.

“His tragic passing not only leaves an irreplaceable void in the hearts of those who loved him but also serves as a painful reminder of the systemic neglect that persists in the industry.”

Zayn Malik has admitted he sometimes “butted heads” with Liam Payne in an emotional tribute to his late One Direction bandmate.

Malik, 31, posted a heartfelt message to his personal Instagram account shortly after One Direction shared a joint statement about Payne’s shock death after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Alongside a sweet photo of himself asleep in Payne’s lap on a tour bus, while Payne is also asleep slumped over on top of him, Malik wrote: “Liam, I have found myself talking out loud to you, hoping you can hear me, I can’t help but think selfishly that there was so many more conversations for us to have in our lives.

“I never got to thank you for supporting me through some of the most difficult times in my life. When I was missing home as a 17 yr old kid you would always be there with a positive outlook and reassuring smile and let me know you were my friend and that I was loved.

“Even though you were younger than me you were always more sensible than me, you were headstrong, opinionated, and gave no f***s about telling people when they were wrong. Even though we butted heads because of this a few times, I always secretly respected you for it.”

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Both in the band and out of it, the pop star struggled to find his defining identity, writes Mark Beaumont. Attempts at telling the world who he is with a second solo album and a documentary fell on deaf ears. His life now cut tragically short, the singer may remain elusive forever

Liam Payne’s former One Direction bandmates have paid tribute to the singer following his death in a hotel fall, aged 31.

In a statement signed “Louis, Zayn, Niall and Harry”, Liam Payne’s One Direction bandmates said: “We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing.

“In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say. But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly.”

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Liam Payne donated ‘£10,000 in one night’ to GoFundMe pages in the month before his death, it has been revealed.

The singer, who undertook a number of charitable projects, is thought to have donated to a number of people, including £2,300 to Jack, 28, from America who had been diagnosed with stage 4 B-cell lymphoma.

Other donations from the same night included £770 to a school shooting survivor, and £2,223 to help Kailyn, a four-year-old who had experienced a stroke.

Dancer and model Danielle Peazer, who dated One Direction star Liam Payne for two years until 2013, has shared a lengthy tribute to the late singer who died last week, aged 31.

Peazer remained on friendly terms with the singer, whom she met on ITV reality contest The X Factor in 2010, and revealed in her statement the one thing she believed he was “most proud of”.

Writing on Instagram on Sunday, she urged her followers to see Payne not just as “a world-famous musician for the last decade” but also “someone’s son and brother for more than 30 years, a friend to so many and more recently an uncle”.

“His most important role and something he was the most proud of out of all of his monumental successes was that he was a father,” Peazer said. “The thought that there is now a child growing up without one of their parents is heartbreaking and unfair.

“To Liam’s son Bear, as well as his parents and sisters, my love, thoughts and strength goes to you. The magnitude of this loss is incomprehensible and I will continue to support you in any way I am able to.”