X Factor star ‘feared something would happen’ to Liam Payne

Liam Payne's fellow The X Factor star Katie Waissel has spoken of her fear that "something would happen" to the One Direction star.

The singer, who appeared on the seventh series alongside Payne, told Sky News that she had recently tried to reach out several times to the "Teardrops" artist.

"I know that he'd been going through a bit of a tough time," Waissel said, expressing her shock at his death.

Payne passed away aged 31 after falling from a hotel balcony in the Palermo neighbourhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Wednesday, 16 October, police said.