Liam Payne dead at 31: One Direction star ‘dies after falling from building in Buenos Aires’

Former One Direction member Liam Payne has died in Buenos Aires at the age of 31, local media reports.  The popstar reportedly fell from a building in Buenos Aires, Argentina, according to TMZ.  Several witnesses told the publication that Mr Payne had fallen from his room at the CasaSur Palmero Hotel shortly after 5pm (ART) Wednesday evening.

Emergency services are believed to be present outside the hotel, where a red tent has been erected at the scene.  Investigations into the 31-year-old’s death are ongoing.

He was previously in a relationship with British pop sensation Cheryl Cole and the pair welcomed their son Bear Grey on March 22, 2017

City ambulance service provider spokesman Alberto Crescenti said Mr Payne had fallen around 40 metres and suffered ‘severe injuries which were incompatible with life.’

He said: ‘The alarm was raised at 5.04pm local time saying a person was lying in an internal patio at Casa Sur.  ‘At 5.11pm an ambulance arrived and the man was certified dead.  ‘Afterwards we found out he had been a famous singer. Unfortunately the injuries he had suffered as a result of the fall proved to be fatal. There was no possibility of resuscitating him.’

The Night Changes singer had recently been spotted attending his former bandmate Niall Horan’s concert in the Latin American country earlier this month.  Liam began his pursuit to stardom when he initially auditioned for X Factor in 2008.  At only 14-years-old Liam impressed judges with his own version of Fly Me To The Moon by Frank Sinatra – but was later eliminated from the show.

However Payne gave his singing career another go auditioning for the competition again in 2010, where he quickly shot to fame as part of One Direction.  He and his former bandmates Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson, were brought together by Simon Cowell and former judge Nicole Scherzinger who saw their potential as a group.  After just a few weeks of getting to know each other and non-stop rehearsing, the group impressed Simon at their Judge’s Houses audition and sailed through to the live shows.

The pop Svengali later admitted to Rolling Stone that it took him ‘about a millionth of a second’ to spot the group’s worldwide potential.  The fan reaction was instant too, with 1D hysteria soon dwarfing the show. Despite the adoration, the band ultimately finished in third place on the X Factor but shortly afterwards Cowell sealed their fate by signing the fivesome to a reported £2million Syco contract.

Keen to capitalise on the boys’ already devoted fanbase, Cowell moved quickly with recording for the band’s debut album beginning in January 2011.  By September of that year One Direction’s first single was released with What Makes You Beautiful soaring to number one on the UK Singles Chart, after becoming the most pre-ordered Sony Music Entertainment single in history.

Their debut album, Up All Night was also a best seller, becoming the UK’s fastest-selling debut album of 2011, with the record leading to their first tour which kicked off in the UK that December.  After Malik announced his departure from the band in 2015, the band went their separate ways.  During their time as a band, One Direction won five Brit Awards, four MTV Video Music Awards, amassed over three billion YouTube views and sold 50 million records worldwide.

After releasing five albums with one of the biggest boybands of all time, Liam released his first solo album titled LP1 in 2019.  His singles Strip That Down co-written with Ed Sheeran climbed its way to number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart that same year.  Over the course of his music career, the popstar collaborated with the likes of J Balvin, French Montana, Dixie D’Amelio and A Boogie Wit da Hoodie.

He was previously in a relationship with British pop sensation Cheryl Cole and the pair welcomed their son Bear Grey on March 22, 2017.  MailOnline has approached Liam Payne’s representatives for comment.  There has been an outpour of tributes online, with fellow former XFactor contestants Jedwad writing: ‘RIP Liam Payne. Condolences to his friends and family.’  They added: ‘ Sending strength to Cheryl and his son Bear, and all the One Direction family.’

Paris Hilton wrote: ‘So upsetting to hear the news of Liam Payne passing. Sending love and condolences to his family and loves ones. RIP my friend.  Stephen Bartlett penned: ‘I cannot believe what I’m reading about Liam Payne. Absolutely heartbreaking.’  MTV released the following tribute: ‘We’re deeply saddened to learn of Liam Payne’s tragic passing today. During this difficult time, our hearts remain with his family, loved one, and fans.’