Liam Payne: A life in pictures

Liam Payne’s journey to stardom began when he was just 14 years old at his lesser-known first audition for The X Factor. He went on to become one-fifth of One Direction. The band – comprising Payne, Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson – rose to global fame despite only placing third in the show.

But six years after they were formed, with more than 20 million albums sold, the band were placed on indefinite hiatus with Malik having already left in 2015 to pursue a solo career. In 2016, Payne signed a solo record deal with Capital Records UK.

Away from the studio and stage, Payne entered into a relationship with former Girls Aloud star Cheryl, the pair having first met on The X Factor when she was a judge. In March 2017, the couple announced the birth of their son Bear.

Born in August 1993, Payne was frequently ill as a young child due to issues with one of his kidneys. In August last year, he postponed his scheduled tour of South America after suffering from a “serious kidney infection”.

The pop star died in October 2024, after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires.

Local police said the 31-year-old singer fell from the third floor into the courtyard of the Casa Sur Hotel in the Palermo neighbourhood of Argentina’s capital, before medics confirmed his death.

Anyone feeling emotionally distressed can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org