Osbourne was a judge in the first three seasons of The X factorwhich launched in 2004, but had left when Payne appeared on the series in 2008 at the age of 14. He returned two years later, when Simon Cowell created One Direction by joining Payne with Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Harry Styles. The group went on to become one of the most successful boy bands of all time before going on hiatus in 2016 to pursue a solo career.

Over the years, Payne has spoken about the challenges of sudden fame. In 2019, he told the BBC that he had to give up drinking for a year in 2017. “There were some very dark years where I was going through extreme danger with various mental health issues,” he said. “I just didn’t know where I was going to end up.” Speaking about his role in One Direction, he added: ‘I was very confused about fame when it all happened; and learning to be a person outside of work was hard.

Mikey Graham, a member of Irish boy band Boyzone, echoed Osbourne’s concerns in a post on X, formerly Twitter, after Payne’s death.

“What tragic news,” Graham wrote. “I think it would be a wise move if record companies from now on have psychologists in their 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. No one to help. Lots of yes people. No one honest.”

Payne, 31, died Wednesday in Buenos Aires. According to a post-autopsy report released yesterday, Payne died of multiple trauma, internal and external bleeding and skull injuries resulting from his fall. Early investigations also indicate the presence of narcotics in his hotel room.

Buenos Aires’ security secretary confirmed Payne’s death Rolling stone On Wednesday afternoon, SAME director Alberto Crescenti told local press that the artist fell from “about 13 or 14 meters” and that Payne “suffered serious injuries incompatible with life.”

Payne’s family released a statement via the BBC on Thursday saying they were “heartbroken” by his death.

“We are heartbroken,” the Payne family said. “Liam will live on in our hearts forever and we will remember him for his kind, funny and courageous soul. We support each other as a family as best we can and ask for privacy and space during this terrible time.”

One Direction and its individual members have since paid tribute to Payne, with the band saying in a statement that it was “completely devastated by the news”. “The memories we shared with him will be cherished forever,” the band said. “For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends and the fans who loved him alongside us. We will miss him terribly. We love you Liam.”