“I first met Liam when he was 16 and I was 18. I was immediately amazed by his voice, but more importantly, as time passed, I had the opportunity to see the kind brother I had longed for my entire life. Liam was an incredible songwriter with a great sense of melody. We often talked about going into the studio together to try to recreate the writing chemistry we had built in the band.

“And just to be clear, Liam was, in my opinion, the most vital part of One Direction. His experience from a young age, his perfect pitch, his stage presence, his gift for writing. The list goes on. Thank you for shaping us Liam,” Tomlinson added.

He also added a message to Payne: “If you’re listening,” he wrote, “I feel beyond lucky to have had you in my life, but I’m really struggling with the idea of ​​saying goodbye. I am so grateful that we have become even closer since bonding, talking on the phone for hours and reminiscing about the thousands of wonderful memories we had together is a luxury I thought I would have with you for life. I would have liked to share the stage with you again, but that was not to be.

“I want you to know that if Bear ever needs me, I will be the uncle he needs in his life and tell him stories about how great his dad was,” Tomlinson added. “I wish I had the chance to say goodbye and tell you one more time how much I loved you. Payno, my boy, one of my best friends, my brother, I love you buddy. Sleep well X.”

Former The X factor host Dermot O’Leary shared a throwback photo of himself and Payne on the show when he first auditioned in 2008. ‘The worst news. I remember him as a 14-year-old auditioning The X factorand blow us away singing Sinatra. He just loved to sing. He was always a joy, had time for everyone, polite, grateful and always humble. Sending love and prayers to his family. Dx,” O’Leary wrote on Instagram.