Louis Walsh broke his silence over the death of Liam Payne, 31, on Wednesday.
The One Direction star fell to his death in Argentina from a hotel balcony, prompting a sea of tributes from fans and stars alike.
Louis, who was a judge on The X Factor in 2008 when Liam first auditioned for the show, told the Irish Mirror: ‘No, (I’m not) saying anything. It’s horrible.’
In 2008, Louis recognized Liam’s talent, saying at the time: “This kid could do fantastic on the show.”
Although Liam didn’t make it to the judges’ houses that year, he returned in 2010 and became part of One Direction.
Louis Walsh broke his silence on the death of Liam Payne aged 31 on Wednesday.
The One Direction star fell to his death in Argentina from a hotel balcony, prompting an outpouring of tributes from fans and stars alike.
Liam’s One Direction bandmates broke their silence following his tragic death on Thursday by releasing an emotional statement.
In a joint statement signed by “Louis, Zayn, Niall and Harry,” they said they were “completely devastated.”
“In time, and when everyone can do it, there will be more to say,” they said.
“But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, whom we love very much.
‘The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever. For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends and the fans who loved him alongside us.
‘We will miss him terribly. We love you Liam.’
Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik later posted separate tributes.
Styles wrote on Instagram that he was “truly devastated” and “will always miss him.”
‘His greatest joy was making other people happy and it was an honor to be with him while he did it.
‘Liam lived completely open, with his heart in his hand, he had an energy for life that was contagious.
‘He was warm, understanding and incredibly loving. The years we spent together will always be among the most precious years of my life. I will always miss you, my dear friend.
Louis, who was a judge on The X Factor in 2008 when Liam first auditioned for the show, told the Irish Mirror: ‘No, (I’m not) saying anything. It’s horrible.’
“My heart breaks for Karen, Geoff, Nicola and Ruth, his son Bear and all those around the world who knew and loved him, like me.”
Tomlinson said in an emotional tribute that he was “really struggling with the idea of saying goodbye”.
He posted a photo on his Instagram page of the two on stage with Payne lovingly putting his arm on Tomlinson’s shoulder.
Tomlinson said he would be an uncle to Payne’s son, Bear, if he “ever needed me” and “I would tell him stories about how wonderful his father was.”
“I’m so grateful that we’ve gotten even closer since we formed the band, talking on the phone for hours, remembering the thousands of incredible memories we had together is a luxury I thought I’d have with you for life,” he wrote. .
“I would have loved to share the stage with you again but it didn’t happen that way.
‘I wish I had the chance to say goodbye and tell you once again how much I loved you.
‘Payno, my boy, one of my best friends, my brother, I love you mate. Sleep well X.’
Malik said he had been talking loudly to Payne “hoping you could hear me.”
In his heartbreaking tribute, he said he had “lost a brother when you left us.”
“And I can’t explain to you what I would give to give you one last hug, say goodbye properly and tell you that I loved and respected you very much,” he wrote.
‘I will cherish all the memories I have with you in my heart forever. There are no words that justify or explain how I feel right now other than beyond devastated. I hope that wherever you are now you are well and at peace and know how loved you are. I love you brother.’
Liam’s solo career emerged from global stardom that began with ITV talent show The X Factor.
It came after the band broke their silence to share a joint statement following Liam’s passing, saying they were “completely devastated” by Liam’s death.
She made her first audition for the show in 2008, aged 14, singing Frank Sinatra’s Fly Me To The Moon, and was told by judge Simon Cowell to return to the ITV talent show two years later.
Liam impressed the judges in 2010 by singing Michael Bublé’s rendition of Cry Me A River before being placed with four other aspiring soloists in the training stage of the competition – the group that later became One Direction.
In 2012, the boy band won their first Brit Award for Best British Single for their debut song What Makes You Beautiful, before collecting the Brit Award for Global Hit a year later.
They also won Brit Awards in 2014 and 2015 for Best British Video for Best Song of All Time and You & I, respectively.
After Malik left the band, the quartet won best video artist for Drag Me Down in 2016. They won the same award a year later for History.
Launching his solo career after One Direction split in January 2016, Payne released his first single Strip That Down featuring Quavo just over a year later in June 2017.
The single peaked at number three, while their second single was Get Low, which peaked at number 26.
Their third single, Bedroom Floor, peaked at number 21.
He then teamed up with singer Rita Ora for a hit, For You, which was the soundtrack to Fifty Shades Freed in 2018 and which was more successful, reaching number eight on the charts.
Next came Familiar with Colombian superstar J Balvin, who moved up to 14th place.
He also released an album, LP1, which peaked at number 17 in December 2019.
Liam was managed by music industry veteran Steve Finan, husband of Olympic heptathlete Denise Lewis.
In August last year, Payne postponed his scheduled tour of South America after suffering a “serious kidney infection.”
Liam fell 45 feet from the third floor to the courtyard of the Casa Sur Hotel in Argentina’s capital on Wednesday, before doctors confirmed his death.
The star fell from the third floor of a hotel in the Argentine capital of Buenos Aires on Wednesday night, before doctors confirmed his death.
Payne had arrived in South America with his girlfriend Kate Cassidy on September 30, staying in Argentina for two weeks after only planning to spend “five days” there.
Police were called to the hotel after receiving reports of an “aggressive man who may be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.”
Shortly afterwards, workers heard a loud sound in the hotel courtyard before the Wolverhampton-born singer’s body was discovered shortly after 5pm local time.
Shocked fans gathered outside after police cordoned off the area and forensic investigators were seen coming and going in white protective suits and blue gloves.
The star was said to have been “acting erratically in the hotel lobby and smashed his laptop” before he “had to be taken back to his room”, according to local media.
Universal Music Group no longer lists Liam as one of its artists.
Capitol Records still cares for Niall, 31, as well as Katy Perry and Lewis Capaldi.
Universal has been contacted for comment.
