Olly Murs leads tributes to Liam Payne sharing memories and devastation for son

Liam Payne was just 31 and leaves young son Bear

Singer Olly Murs, who starred on The X Factor a year before One Direction, said he was “lost for words” at the death of Liam Payne as he shared concerns for Liam's son Bear.

“We always had a good laugh when we saw each other, sometimes the catch ups were only short and sweet but when we did it was mostly about how annoyingly good his hair always looked, or our love for Becks, the old XF (X Factor) days and the tour we shared together,” Murs wrote beside a picture of the pair.

“Liam shared the same passions as me, the same dreams so to see his life now end so young hits hard, I’m truly gutted and devastated for his family and of course his son Bear losing a dad.”

In the wake of the star's death, TV presenter Dermot O’Leary has also recalled Liam Payne auditioning for The X Factor as a 14-year-old boy, as he paid tribute to the singer following his death, reports The Mirror.

O’Leary, who hosted The X Factor during both of Payne’s appearances, shared a photograph of the pair 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.”

Max George, lead singer of boyband The Wanted, has shared his devastation at the loss of Liam, who shared son Bear with former Girls Aloud pop star Cheryl. Max himself went through a similar tragedy in 2022 when the bandmate, Tom Parker, died from brain cancer, aged just 33.

During that time Liam supported Max and attended Tom's funeral. Posting on X, Max said he was: "Devastated. Liam was an unbelievably supportive during one of the most difficult times in my life. I will never forget that.

"My thoughts are with his family, friends and fans at this horrendous time."

Overnight, police in Argentina have confirmed some of the details surrounding Liam Payne's death at a Buenos Aires hotel on Wednesday evening. An emergency 911 call was made from the hotel reporting "an aggressive man who may have been under the effects of drugs and alcohol".

When officers arrived at the hotel, a loud bang was heard from an inner courtyard. Paramedics arrived on the scene shortly after 5pm local time (9pm GMT).

There they found the singer with "very serious injuries" that meant there was "no possibility of resuscitation". Officers confirmed that he had fallen around 14 metres from a third floor balcony.

It is understood that the 31-year-old's body has since been transported to a morgue, where authorities have ordered an autopsy take place so that police can establish the circumstances of his death.

Local media has reported that the singer was staying in Room 10 at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel, where police entered and seized several items in the hours after his tragic death.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Office has confirmed it is in contact with local authorities in Argentina “regarding reports of the death of a British man,” but have yet to confirm his identity officially.

Shortly after the fatal incident, fans gathered to pay tribute to the British singer at his hotel after police cordoned off the area, with forensic investigators seen entering and exiting in white protective suits and blue gloves.