When Liam Payne met Simon Cowell

Debuting as a solo singer, the 14-year old survived the talent show’s gruelling “bootcamp”, but was cut at the judges’ house stage and didn’t make the final.

However, Cowell urged him to return when he was older with more experience. Undeterred by the rejection, Payne auditioned on the show two years later in 2010, aged 16, showing his determination to succeed.

On this occasion, he became a member of the world’s most famous boy band, One Direction, rocketing the Wolverhampton teen to international superstardom, with Cowell becoming his mentor for many years.

Following news of Payne’s tragic death at 31, Cowell cancelled filming of the current Britain’s Got Talent auditions. Keeping out of the public eye for a week, he said he felt “heartbroken and devastated” at the loss of his one-time protégé who became a friend.

Liam Payne on X Factor

A sporty child who took part in cross-country running and boxing, Payne didn’t let his love of sports mar his academic studies, passing eleven GCSEs. He became interested in show business at age 12, starring in Saturday Night Fever in the lead role of Tony Manero with Pink Productions Theatre Company.

After studying music technology at the City of Wolverhampton College, Payne auditioned for The X Factor in 2008 in front of Cowell and fellow judges Louis Walsh, Dannii Minogue and Cheryle Cole. His performance of Frank Sinatra’s Fly Me to the Moon won him through to the second round of auditions, but he was cut in the third round, when Cowell told him, “Come back in two years.”

His return to The X Factor in 2010 saw Payne widely praised for his rendition of Cry Me a River: Cowell gave him a standing ovation and he received a “yes” from all four judges.

Guest judge Nicole Scherzinger suggested forming a boy band from some of the outstanding teenage talents, who otherwise might have been going home. This led to the formation of One Direction, one of the best-selling boy bands in history, with more than 70 million record sales worldwide to date.

One Direction X Factor

Payne joined fellow One Direction members Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Zayn Malik on stage at Wembley Arena during the competition after they were handpicked by Cowell and Scherzinger. They went forward in the “groups” category after having only two weeks to bond and rehearse for the show.

Cowell later described One Direction as being “fun, confident, fearless and like a gang of friends”. They quickly won a large following in the UK as they progressed through the live shows.

Did One Direction win X Factor?

Despite their popularity, One Direction came third, beaten by winner Matt Cardle and runner-up Rebecca Ferguson. However, the band was snapped up by Simon Cowell’s Syco Records in a deal worth a reported £2 million and they were recording their debut album by 2011.

Simon Cowell and One Direction were a global force, with the record executive becoming the band’s mentor who steered them to their iconic position. They won almost 200 awards during their six-year career including seven Brits; seven American Music; six Billboard Music and 28 Teen Choice Awards. They were named Billboard’s 2014 Artist of the Year and became the world’s second-highest earning celebrities under the age of 30, with an estimated income of £57.8 million, according to Forbes.

Cowell steered 1D to success, handling their album releases, with the band always speaking positively about their mentor. When Cowell and his partner, Lauren Silverman, announced their pregnancy with son Eric, the band said he would make a “great father”.

Ironically, at the peak of their success, the band broke up in 2016, causing heartbreak for their legion of fans. The reasons cited were the individual ambitions of band members and “internal tensions”.

Liam Payne solo career

After the demise of One Direction, Payne launched his successful solo career, collaborating with producers After Hrs to mix various tracks for other artists, including former X Factor judge Cheryl Cole’s I Don’t Care. He was praised for his “future house” style and was credited with writing I Won’t Break for Cole’s Only Human album.

Signing a record deal with Republic Records in October 2016, Payne’s debut solo single, Strip That Down, in May 2017 was a commercial hit in the UK and US. He enjoyed a successful solo career, collaborating with Rita Ora in 2018 to release For You from the soundtrack of the Fifty Shades Freed film.

Payne and Cowell remained friends after One Direction’s split. In an interview in 2022, he revealed the mogul was extremely kind when dropping him from X Factor in 2008. Cowell took Payne and his mother for dinner to break the news, telling the 14-year-old, “I didn’t want to let you go, but you have to go and get your education and come back in two years.”

Cheryl Cole and Liam Payne

Cowell was later credited as being instrumental in getting Payne together with Cheryl Cole, which culminated in the birth of their son, Bear, in March 2017. They began dating in 2016, after Payne had spent an evening socialising at Cowell’s house.

Payne admitted he continually talked about Cheryl and how attractive she was, although in a jokey manner. Cowell took it all in – and realising Payne was serious, he told the singer, “I think I know who the next Mrs Payne will be!”

Soon afterwards, Payne discovered Cole felt the same way about him and they began a two-year relationship. They became one of show business’s hottest celebrity couples and were frequently pictured in the media.

Bear was born on 22nd March 2017, but sadly, the couple broke up in 2018. They remained respectful to each other, with Payne describing his ex as “the best mum”, as they continued to co-parent their son.

Hotel fall tragedy

Family, friends and fans were devastated to learn Payne had died at the age of 31 after falling from a third-floor hotel balcony while staying in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on 16th October 2024.

Cowell said he felt “empty” after learning of his friend’s tragic death, writing on Instagram that they had “reminisced about all the fun times” they had together when they last reunited in 2023. “You came to see me, not for a meeting. Just to sit and talk,” Cowell recalled. “I was reminded you were still the sweet, kind boy I met all those years ago”.

After postponing filming of Britain’s Got Talent, Cowell released a statement saying Payne’s son, Bear, now seven, would be “so proud” of everything his dad had achieved. Admitting to being “truly devastated”, Cowell spoke of the “love and respect” he had for Payne, adding, “Every tear I shed is a memory of you.”

He described the “talented, humble and thoughtful” star as having “genuine love” for his fans, who staged vigils and memorial events all over the world following his passing.