Liam Payne death latest: Results of 1D star’s hotel room search revealed by police

BBC Radio 2 host Scott Mills has said he “can’t bear that this is where Liam’s story has ended” as he remembered the time he spent with the late singer over the years.

He opened his afternoon show on the station by saying: “The tragic news about Liam Payne is a really hard one to take in because I never thought we would have to say goodbye to him so soon.

“I had so much fun with One Direction, as a lot of you will know, over the years and their memories will stay with me for life, and Liam was such a big part of it.”

He joked that at times he felt like the sixth member of One Direction as he was with them so often during their heyday when he presented on BBC Radio 1.

Mills also recalled laughing with Payne when the singer’s father Geoff wanted a selfie with him at the One Direction movie premiere despite having met stars like David Beckham and Mariah Carey beforehand.

The presenter held back tears as he gave a special message to him, saying: “So, Geoff, I don’t know if you’re hearing this, but my heart goes out to you today and to the rest of Liam’s family, and, of course, to his little boy.”

He added: “I just feel so incredibly sad about all of this. Liam, we had so much fun and you were always the kindest, most caring person to me.

“Thank you for letting me be part of your ride. I will never forget it. The band were all so lovely always, but Liam was kind of the grown-up one in the group, the wise one. And I can’t bear that this is where Liam’s story has ended.”

He then dedicated “Story Of My Life” by One Direction to Payne, his family and his fans.

Both in the band and out of it, the pop star struggled to find his defining identity, writes Mark Beaumont. Attempts at telling the world who he is with a second solo album and a documentary fell on deaf ears. His life now cut tragically short, the singer may remain elusive forever.

Singer was open about his experiences in the aftermath of the band’s split, as he pursued a solo career and had a son with former ‘X Factor’ judge, Cheryl Tweedy.

Prior to meeting Cassidy in October 2022, and Henry in 2019, Liam was in a relationship with former X Factor judge Cheryl Cole.

The pair share one seven-year-old son together, Bear.

We break down the timeline of the couple’s unconventional meeting and subsequent relationship below.

McFly and Busted stars have remembered Liam Payne as “such a nice human” and reflected on the pressures of being in the spotlight when in a boy band.

The McBusted supergroup previously supported One Direction, with whom Payne rose to fame alongside Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson, during 1D’s world tour.

Appearing on ITV’s This Morning, McFly’s Danny Jones said: “It’s super sad. Such a nice human and it was amazing to know the guys. And I feel for his family, I feel for the band, feel for the boys, and I’m shocked. I’m genuinely shocked.”

Busted’s Charlie Simpson, who started his musical career when he was aged 16, reflected on the pressures of being thrust into the limelight in a boyband.

“It is really tough. I think that especially today with social media and the pressure that comes with it now that wasn’t around when we started, I think that makes it even tougher”, he said.

Fellow Busted bandmate Matt Willis also remembered Payne as “such a lovely bloke”, adding: “Music is so powerful and I think what One Direction achieved was unbelievable, so incredible. They’ve got such an amazing history of music, it’s a beautiful thing music.”

The singer died after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Argentina, officials said on Wednesday 16 October. Pablo Policicchio, the spokesperson for the Security Ministry of Buenos Aires municipality, said in a statement to the Associated Press that police were dispatched to the hotel in response to an emergency call about an “aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol”.

Born in Wolverhampton, England, Payne was drawn to singers such as Usher and Justin Timberlake. He remembered his childhood as a happy one: his father, Geoff, worked as a fitter, while his mother, Karen, was a nursery nurse.

“It was great, though we didn’t have much,” he told The Telegraph in a 2017 interview. “Dad was in debt, but they did the best they could. It makes you dream a bit, you know?”

The Buenos Aires police said they found Payne’s hotel room “in complete disarray,” with packs of clonazepam, a central nervous system depressant, as well as energy supplements and other over-the-counter drugs strewn about and “various items broken”, Reuters reports.

They added that a whiskey bottle, lighter and cellphone were retrieved from the internal hotel courtyard where Payne’s body was found.