Police say they found medicines and alcohol in Liam Payne’s hotel room

Buenos Aires police have said they have searched Liam Payne’s hotel room and found alcohol as well as medicines like clonazepam.

Clonazepam is a benzodiazepine used to control epilepsy, involuntary muscle spasms or panic disorders.

Police also said they took fingerprints and other evidence from Payne’s room to be analysed.

 

Rolling Stone legend who performed with Payne on X Factor pays tribute

Adding to the growing list of musical luminaries who have paid tribute to Liam Payne is a post from Rolling Stones legend Ronnie Wood.

The guitarist shared video of him performing alongside Payne and One Direction during the grand final of X Factor in 2010, while saying the 31-year-old will be “dearly missed”.

Niall Horan’s brother says he is ‘heartbroken’

 

Liam Payne’s One Direction bandmates have not yet commented on his death, but Niall Horan’s brother has written a tribute on his Instagram.

Greg Horan, who is six years older than Niall, said: “To say I’m heartbroken is an understatement.”

He said the singer would be “forever missed”, adding: “Words can’t describe how much I want to grab my brother and mind him now the world shows their memories of you and him and the boys.”

Prime minister offers ‘sincere condolences’

 

Downing Street has sent its “sincere condolences” to the friends and family of Liam Payne.

Asked at a lobby briefing about the star’s death, the prime minister’s spokesperson said One Direction was “one of the biggest bands in history”.

They added that Downing Street was in correspondence with local authorities in Argentina.

Fellow 2010 X Factor contestant remembers ‘my rock’ – while denouncing ‘systemic neglect’ in music industry

Another of Liam Payne’s fellow X Factor 2010 contestants has offered her thoughts following his death last night.

Describing him as “my dear friend”, Katie Waissel posted online saying said Liam “became my confidant and my rock, offering unwavering support during some of my darkest moments on that journey”.

“Liam was kind, with a pure heart, a sharp mind, and the wisdom of an old soul.

“His warmth and compassion left a lasting impact on everyone who had the privilege of knowing him.”

And in a now familiar theme among the reactions to his passing, she made reference to the perceived failures of the music industry in looking after young artists.

“His tragic passing not only leaves an irreplaceable void in the hearts of those who loved him but also serves as a painful reminder of the systemic neglect that persists in the industry,” she said.

“There are those who had a responsibility to provide the care and support necessary for the well-being of young artists, but too often, the focus remained on profits rather than the people.

“This industry has treated talent like commodities, and the negligence of duty of care has once again led to a heart-wrenching loss.”

She continued: “My heart breaks for Liam’s family—his mother Karen, father Geoff, his sisters Nicola and Ruth, his beloved son Bear and Cheryl—and for all those whose lives have been forever altered by this unimaginable loss.

“Liam, I am so deeply sorry for all that you went through. Your spirit will live on in the hearts of so many, and your story will continue to be told.

“The change the industry so desperately needs will come, and we will honor your legacy until it does.

“Keep singing in the sky, my friend. With all my love, Katie.”

Liam Payne’s family say they are ‘heartbroken’ in first statement

The One Direction star’s family has released a statement through his spokeswoman, saying they are “heartbroken”.

“Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul,” they said.

“We are supporting each other the best we can as a family and ask for privacy and space at this awful time.”

Star sustained ‘very serious injuries’, emergency services say

Liam Payne had “injuries incompatible with life” after his fall, a spokesperson for Buenos Aires’s ambulance service provider has reportedly said.

Alberto Crescenti told Argentina’s TN network that there was “no possibility of doing anything” to save the singer.

“According to what the team saw, he had a fracture at the base of the skull. Very serious injuries,” he said.

The circumstances of his fall into a hotel courtyard are not yet clear.

‘I believe he would still be alive today’: X Factor star who shared taxi to audition with Liam Payne shares poignant memory

We’ve brought you a number of comments and tributes today from artists who also found fame through ITV talent show X Factor.

But the following post from Rebecca Ferguson is perhaps among the most poignant, recalling their first meeting on the way to the auditions for the show in 2010.

“We both met at Euston station and shared the taxi together to X Factor, young, innocent and unaffected by fame.

“I can’t help but think of that boy who was hopeful and looking foreward to his bright future ahead.

“If he hadn’t jumped on that train and jumped in that taxi I believe he would still be alive today.

“I’ve spoken for years about the exploitation and profiteering of young stars and the effects – many of us are still living with the aftermath and the PTSD.”

“Rest in Peace Liam, I hope you find peace on the other side and love to your mum and family x.”

X Factor contestant who lived with Payne on show becomes tearful while discussing star’s tragic end

Mary Byrne was among Liam Payne’s fellow contestants in the 2010 X Factor series, in which One Direction were formed.

She spoke to Sky News about her memories of sharing a house with Payne and other band members during the time the live studio episodes were being filmed each week, before taking part in the subsequent tour alongside them.

“I was the mummy of the house for them and I do remember them coming in for me to sew their shorts and stuff like that,” she said.

“So they kind of got very close to me and I got close to them.

“They were like my sons in the house. And Liam in particular was kind of, in my eyes, the wise one of them all because he was kind of trying to keep the group together, and he had the stronger head on his shoulders.

“I was quite shocked to hear what happened because he always spoke about him and his father and going into business, while he was doing the show, and if they made a few bob, they were going to invest it.

“So he seemed to have it all together at the time, and they all did. And I’m devastated. I really am devastated.”

Asked how members of the group interacted with each other, she said: “They were best buddies.

“I mean, they all had each other’s back and they were always there for each other.

“That’s all I ever saw with them. They were always a kind bunch of lads. They never had any animosity [with each other].”

Asked about whether she recognised the boy she knew in 2010 in the reports that have emerged from the moments before his death at the hotel in Argentina, Byrne became visibly emotional.

“No, I can’t, I can’t recognise that,” she said.

“Liam, in my eyes… he seemed to be the oldest of the group, even though he probably wasn’t.

“But he had a huge, big heart and he was gentle and he was kind. to find out this, you know, it’s like I’m their mother, and I know I was only with them for about a year doing all the tours and everything, but it just feels so sad and so wrong.

“That wasn’t the young boy I knew, in the house and I am actually very, very upset over it.”

One Direction made his childhood dream a reality – but fame was never easy

When Simon Cowell and his fellow X Factor judges were choosing the young singers to form One Direction, it was Liam Payne he was certain of.

“He was the stand-out audition,” the music mogul said, as a Polaroid of the then 16-year-old was placed on top of the smiling, fresh faces of Harry Styles, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson. Zayn Malik soon followed. The judges agreed Payne could be the “leader”.

From footage of the process, the creation of a pop phenomenon seemingly took just a few minutes.

“I’m in a boy band,” Payne excitedly told his dad in a text message after discovering he had been selected. He had no idea then how his life was going to change.

Read this obituary from our culture and entertainment reporter Gemma Peplow below…