One Direction, ‘The X Factor’ React To Liam Payne’s Death: “Completely Devastated”

One Direction and The X Factor are mourning the death of Liam Payne.

After Payne died on Wednesday, members of the beloved former pop boy band and the UK competition show where they got their start reacted to Payne’s death with heartfelt tributes.

“We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing. In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say. But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly,” One Direction wrote in a group statement.

“The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever,” the group continued. “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. Louis, Zayn, Niall and Harry.”

Former The X Factor presenter 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 turning up to audition on The X Factor, and blowing us away singing Sinatra. He just loved to sing. He was always a joy, had time for everyone, polite, grateful, and was always humble. Sending love and prayers to his family. Dx,” wrote O’Leary on Instagram.

Payne died at age 31 on Wednesday when he fell from the third-floor balcony of his Buenos Aires, Argentina hotel room. La Nación reported that Hotel Casa Sur staff called police before the incident to report “an aggressive man that could’ve been under the influence of drugs or alcohol.”

Born Aug. 29, 1993 in Wolverhampton, England, Payne first auditioned for The X Factor at age 14 in 2008, singing Frank Sinatra’s ‘Fly Me to the Moon’. Although he was cut, Cowell encouraged him to come back two years later.

In 2010, Payne returned to the competition series and was grouped with Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik to form One Direction. Following their time on the show, the group was signed to Simon Cowell‘s Syco Entertainment.

From 2010 to 2016, the group released five albums and became a global sensation, winning seven Brit Awards and selling more than 70 million albums worldwide.

After the group went their separate ways, Payne released his lone solo album LP1 in 2019.