Simon Cowell Shares Statement Following Liam Payne’s Death
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Simon Cowell, The X Factor UK judge, known for creating One Direction, shared a statement on Instagram following Liam Payne’s death. For those who may have missed it, Payne passed away earlier this week after falling from his hotel balcony in Argentina.
Simon Cowell Pens Heartfelt Statement About Payne
On October 18, Cowell released his official statement about Payne’s unexpected death. The statement is written across an Instagram carousel, mentioning Payne’s experience as a father, and also his recent experiences with Cowell.
“Liam, I am truly devastated. Heartbroken. And I feel empty,” Cowell wrote. “And I want you to know how much love and respect I have for you.”
Cowell then went on to share how much Payne genuinely loved his fans, stating “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.”
Later in the message, Cowell talked about Payne’s experience audition for The X Factor UK. For those who may not know, Payne was 14 years old during his first audition. His second was the one that was televised when he was 16 years old.
“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,” Cowell wrote. “A lot of people: would have given up. You didn’t. You came back and within months the whole world knew Liam.”
Cowell then shed light on time they spent together in 2023. The music mogul explained that it wasn’t a business meeting.
“We reminisced about all of the fun times we had together. And how proud you were to be a Dad,” he wrote. “After you left, I was reminded that you were still the sweet, kind boy I met all of those years ago.
I have met your son, Bear. He has your smile and that twinkle in his eyes you have.”
Cowell made sure to share that Bear will be so proud of Payne for his entire life. The music mogul ended out his statement saying that he always felt One Direction were brothers and the group’s combined statement really proved that to him.
Cowell Postponed BGT Auditions
For those who may not know, Britain’s Got Talent is now filming auditions for their upcoming season. Due to the announcement of Liam Payne’s death, BGT auditions were postponed on Thursday, October 17.
Applause Store, which books tickets for BGT tapings, posted on social media Thursday, “Due to the tragic passing of Liam Payne, BGT has decided to postpone today’s auditions in Blackpool. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.”
Applause Store will update fans on when. Blookpool’s next taping will take place. Fan favorite judging panel of Simon Cowell, Alesha Dixon and Amanda Holden are returning for this season. Multiple episodes on the new season will feature influencer KSI in place of Bruno Tonioli. Ant and Dec are still hosting the series.
