Tributes in Ireland as One Direction star Liam Payne dies in Argentina balcony fall

Tributes have been paid in Ireland and all over the world after the death of former One Direction star Liam Payne in a hotel balcony fall in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Local police said the singer fell from the third floor into the courtyard of the Casa Sur Hotel in the Palermo neighbourhood of Argentina’s capital before medics confirmed his death, in a statement to the Associated Press (AP).

Police responded to an emergency call from the hotel manager who had become concerned for his welfare, AP said.

Pictures showed shocked fans gathering outside the hotel after police cordoned off the area with forensic investigators seen entering and exiting in white protective suits and blue gloves.

Tributes have been paid across the globe. Boyzone's Mikey Graham said: "Rip Liam Payne. Such tragic news. I think it would be a wise move for record companies to have psychologists on their books from now on in his memory as a duty of care for the vulnerability of their young talent. Fame can be very damaging especially in today’s world. Lots of money. Nobody to help. Lots of yes people. Nobody honest."

Former X Factor host Dermot O’Leary, who hosted The X Factor during both of Payne’s appearances, shared a photograph of the pair on stage, captioning the Instagram post: “The worst news”.

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“I remember him as a 14-year-old turning up to audition on The X Factor, and blowing us away singing Sinatra. He just loved to sing,” he wrote.

“He was always a joy, had time for everyone, polite, grateful, and was always humble.”

Singer Olly Murs, who starred on The X Factor a year before One Direction, said he was “lost for words”, describing Payne’s death as “devastating” on Instagram.

“We always had a good laugh when we saw each other, sometimes the catch ups were only short and sweet but when we did it was mostly about how annoyingly good his hair always looked, or our love for Becks, the old XF (X Factor) days and the tour we shared together,” Murs wrote beside a picture of the pair.

“Liam shared the same passions as me, the same dreams so to see his life now end so young hits hard, I’m truly gutted and devastated for his family and of course his son Bear losing a dad.”

Liam Payne shot to fame on the X Factor where One Direction was formed by Simon Cowell. The group also featured Ireland's Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Harry Styles, all of whom auditioned individually.

After becoming one of the biggest pop groups in the world with five albums and four world tours, One Direction went on indefinite hiatus in 2016.

Earlier this month, Payne attended bandmate Niall Horan’s Argentinian concert alongside his girlfriend Kate Cassidy.

Payne and Girls Aloud singer Cheryl share a son Bear, born in 2017, having been in a high-profile relationship between 2016 and 2018.

The singer first auditioned for The X Factor in 2008 at the age of 14 singing Frank Sinatra’s Fly Me To The Moon, with judge Simon Cowell telling him to return to the ITV talent show two years later.

He impressed the judges in 2010 singing Michael Buble’s rendition of Cry Me A River before he was put with four other solo hopefuls at the boot camp stage of the competition – the group which later became One Direction.

In 2012, the boy band won their first Brit Award for best British single for their debut track What Makes You Beautiful, before picking up the Brit global success award a year later.

In 2014 and 2015 they also won best British video for Best Song Ever and You & I respectively.

After Malik left the band, the quartet won best artist video for Drag Me Down in 2016. They picked up the same award a year later for History.

In August last year, Payne postponed his scheduled tour of South America after suffering from a “serious kidney infection”.

He said the infection was something “I wouldn’t wish on anyone” and he had been instructed by doctors to “rest and recover”.

Later last year he was banned from driving in the UK after admitting a speeding offence.

The singer was reportedly travelling at 43mph in a 30mph zone and was banned from driving for six months, as well as paying a fine, in October 2023.

In August this year, Payne was announced as a judge on a new Netflix show alongside former Destiny’s Child singer Kelly Rowland and The Pussycat Dolls star Nicole Scherzinger.

The stars were to judge attempts to create a band, looking at the contestants’ chemistry as they formed groupings in the musical competition series.