Simon Cowell is sharing his condolences. The former “American Idol” and “X Factor UK” judge released a statement on October 18 reacting to the death of singer and former One Direction bandmate Liam Payne. Cowell was credited with jumpstarting Payne’s singing career after Payne auditioned for “X Factor UK”, first in 2008 and then again in 2010.
“Liam, I am truly devastated. Heartbroken. And I feel empty,” Cowell wrote in his statement. “And I want to know how much love and respect I have for you. Every tear I have shed is a memory of you.”
Cowell went on to write about one of the last time’s he saw Payne, adding, “You came to see my 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. I have met your son, Bear. He has your smile and that twinkle in his eyes you have. And he will be so proud of everything you achieved. And how you achieved it.”
Simon Cowell Met Liam Payne on ‘X Factor UK’ Series 5
Payne originally audition for “X Factor UK” in its fifth series at only 14 years old. After singing Frank Sinatra’s “Fly Me to the Moon”, he made it through to the Boot Camp stage of the competition. While he was cut at Boot Camp, Cowell later reversed the decision, bringing him to to the Judge’s House stage, where he was eventually cut.
Cowell told Payne to return two years later after he had taken some time to grow up as a singer and a person, and Payne did just that. He returned for another audition in series seven in 2010, making it to the Boot Camp stage again after his take on Michael Bublé’s “Cry Me A River”. His second audition even earned him a standing ovation from Cowell.
Payne was then cut again at the end of the Boot Camp round, but in another last-minute decision guest-judge Nicole Scherzinger worked with Cowell to form a boy band with Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, and Louis Tomlinson, which would go on to become one direction.
Liam Payne Detailed His Addition to One Direction
“X Factor UK” released a never-before-seen clip of Scherzinger, Cowell, and Louis Walsh forming One Direction during a deliberation period during the audition process for series seven.
In the video, Scherzinger suggests they form an “imaginary boy group” out of the headshots of the boys that weren’t making the cut as solo artists after the Boot Camp stage. They added Horan, Styles, and Tomlinson’s photos to the pile before reaching Payne’s. Cowell suggested they add Payne to a different group they were thinking about forming, but Scherzinger cut in, saying, “I think that he would definitely shine. He could actually maybe be the leader. If he’s the standout he could be one of the leaders of this [group].”
Cowell and Walsh agreed Payne had the confidence to be in the group, and the trio finished out the band with Malik.
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