Liam Payne: Dermot O'Leary and Rylan pay tribute to One Direction star after death aged 31

Liam Payne rose to fame on The X Factor as a member of One Direction alongside Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Harry Styles

TV host Dermot O'Leary has shared his memories of Liam Payne's audition for The X Factor when he was just 14, as he paid tribute to the singer following his tragic death. Payne sadly died after falling from a third-floor balcony at a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

He shot to fame at the age of 16 when he formed One Direction on The X Factor in 2010 with Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Harry Styles, having returned to the ITV show two years after his initial audition. Anne Twist, mother of Harry Styles, posted a broken-hearted emoji on Instagram, captioning it: "Just a boy."

O'Leary, who was the host of The X Factor during both of Payne's appearances, shared a photo of them together on stage, captioning the Instagram post: "The worst news".

"I remember him as a 14-year-old turning up to audition on The X Factor, and blowing us away singing Sinatra. He just loved to sing," he wrote. "He was always a joy, had time for everyone, polite, grateful, and was always humble."

Olly Murs, who appeared on The X Factor a year before One Direction, expressed his shock and sadness over Payne's death on Instagram. He described their relationship as one filled with laughter and shared interests, from their mutual admiration for David Beckham to reminiscing about their time on The X Factor and the tour they shared, reports Bristol Live.

Murs also expressed his sympathy for Payne's son Bear, whom he shares with Girls Aloud singer Cheryl. Max George of The Wanted also paid tribute to Payne, recalling how they met during The X Factor and how Payne had been a source of support when his bandmate Tom Parker fell ill.

Payne was present at the funeral of Parker, who passed away in March 2022 at the age of 33 following a diagnosis of an inoperable brain tumour. US singer Charlie Puth, who co-wrote Payne's 2017 hit 'Bedroom Floor', expressed his shock at Payne's passing on Instagram.

"Liam was always so kind to me," he wrote, sharing a series of photos of them together. "He was one of the first major artists I got to work with. I cannot believe he is gone... I am so upset right now, may he rest in peace."

Rylan Clark described Payne's death as "so tragic" on X, while former X Factor contestants Jedward sent their love to Cheryl, his son Bear and "all the One Direction family". Socialite Paris Hilton also paid tribute on X, labelling the singer's death "so upsetting", while BBC Radio 2 presenter Zoe Ball referred to it as "devastating news, dear Liam Payne".

DJ and music producer Zedd, who collaborated with Payne on the 2017 track 'Get Low', called the singer's death "absolutely heartbreaking". American singer and rapper Ty Dolla Sign said he will "miss" Payne, captioning videos and pictures on his Instagram story: "Just talked to you two days ago my guy."

The Backstreet Boys also paid tribute, expressing their condolences to "Directioners around the world". A statement on X added: "Words can not express the emotions we are collectively feeling right now, and it seems like the rest of the world is in the same boat."

Several industry organisations have joined in paying their respects, with streaming behemoth Spotify, MTV, and the Brit Awards each expressing in individual statements that they are "deeply saddened" by Payne's passing.