Simon Cowell recalls moment he was told Liam Payne had died and admits trying to reach out to family

Simon Cowell recalls the moment he was told Liam Payne had died and admits trying to reach out to his family.

The 66-year-old X Factor boss claimed that after being left stunned and “not thinking clearly,” all he wanted to do was “reach out to his mum and dad as a parent.”

On October 16, 2024, Liam passed away in Buenos Aires following a fall from a third-floor balcony at the Casa Sur Palmero Hotel.

Speaking on The Interview podcast from The New York Times, Simon recalled hearing about his death.

He said: “Someone who I worked with, very closely came into my room and I could tell from the look on her face that she was upset, then she told me.”

“It was a bit like, when I heard the news that my dad had passed away. It’s very difficult to put into words how you feel, other than just a shock.”

Simon continued: “I wasn’t thinking clearly and I just remember saying “I really need to speak to his mum and dad, can you get them on the phone.”

“As a parent, you know what that must have felt like. I knew his mum and dad and I just wanted to reach out in that moment. It was just awful.”

The 66-year-old recalled seeing Liam in that exact same room a year earlier, saying the singer was “in a really good place,” but he still wondered if he could have done more to support him.

“He looked great, he had been going to the gym and we talked about his son and said there was more to life than just music. We just hung out as friends,” he added.

“There was stuff I would have never have spoken about then that was private. Advice I tried to give him about what comes with fame. When you sign an artist my role is get them with the right production team and managers and make them successful.”

“I had about 20 artists on my books at the time, it’s a bit like they leave the nest, you always say you are available as and when but you can’t follow them everywhere,” he added.

“If I could go back in time to that one day that he was in my house… you always think about things like that. ‘What if I’d said this, what if I’d said that’ but there’s only so much you can do. You just hope that they are successful and happy.”

Liam tragically died in Buenos Aires after falling from a third floor balcony at the Casa Sur Palmero Hotel on October 16, 2024.

Following the news of his death, Simon posted a touching tribute to him on Instagram.

He wrote: “Liam, I am truly devastated. Heartbroken. And I feel empty. And I want you to know how much love and respect I have for you. Every tear I have shed is a memory of you.

“This is so difficult to put in words right now. I went outside today, and I thought about so many times we had together.”

“I wanted to let you know what I would always say to the thousands of people who would always ask me. What is Liam like? And I would tell them you were kind, funny, sweet, thoughtful, talented, humble, focused. And how much you loved music. And how much love you genuinely had for the fans.

“I had to tell you when you were 14 that this wasn’t your time. And we both made a promise that we would meet again. A lot of people would have given up. You didn’t. You came back and within months the whole world knew Liam.

“And you never forgot the fans. I watched you spending so much time with people who had wanted to meet you. You really cared.

“You came to see me last year. Not for a meeting. Just to sit and talk. And we reminisced about all of the fun times we had together. And how proud you were to be a Dad. After you left, I was reminded that you were still the sweet, kind boy I met all of those years ago.

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