Liam Payneโs memory lives on in โBuilding the Band.โ
The late One Direction singer makes his final television appearance in the new Netflix singing competition โย and fans are tuning in to see his last moments on screen.
Payne died on Oct. 16, 2024, after falling from a third floor balcony of a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was 31. His death sent a wave of shock across the world, as fans of the musician mourned his sudden death.
Before he died, Payne had filmed โBuilding the Band,โ working as a judge alongside host and Backstreet Boy AJ McLean, mentor and judge Nicole Scherzinger and judge Kelly Rowland.
The competition show brings together singers, isolated in their own pods a la โLove Is Blind,โ who create their own groups without ever seeing one another. All they have to go off are the personโs vocals and the chemistry they create together.
Payne, as well as Rowland, bring in their expertise and personal experience to the competition.
โHe lit up any room that he walked into,โ McLean tells TODAY.com. โWhether it was a dressing room, on set, where he was, he lit up that space with his energy, with his open heart, open mind. He was extremely, very well spoken, very articulate when it came to giving feedback as a mentor to these groups.โ
McLean adds that Payne was โvery supportive, rigorously honest in a compassionate wayโ and โthe coolest dudeโ on set. They also bonded over their shared boy band and life experiences.
As the first four episodes stream on Netflix on July 9, the premiere addresses Payneโs unexpected death.
How is Liam Payne honored on ‘Building the Band’
The first episode opens with a message from McLean, paying tribute to Payne.
โWhen we came together to film โBuilding the Band,โ we never imagined weโd soon be saying goodbye to our friend, Liam Payne,โ McLean says in the first episode. โLiam is a guest judge in later episodes, and through his presence, we see his deep love for music and his unwavering commitment to helping others find their voice.โ
As photos and video footage of Payne from his time on the show appear on the screen, McLean adds, โItโs through that spirit that we dedicate this series to Liam and his family.โ
How did Liam Payne die?
Payne’s autopsy report from the Argentina National Prosecutorโs Office shows that he died of โpolytrauma and internal and external bleedingโ after his fall.
Preliminary toxicology results, unconfirmed by NBC News at the time, found that he had multiple substances in his system when he fell, reportedly including โpink cocaine,โ a cocktail of drugs including methamphetamine, ketamine, MDMA and more, as well as cocaine, benzodiazepine and crack, according to sources quoted by ABC News.
One month after his death, a private funeral service took place at St. Maryโs Church in the town of Amersham, just outside of London, on Nov. 20. Among the attendees included the other members of One Direction, Payneโs then-girlfriend Kate Cassidy, and Cheryl Cole, the mother of his son, Bear.
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