00:00Louis, Zayn, Harry, Liam and Niall were baby-faced teens when they appeared on The X Factor in
00:082010. Failing to make it through the contest as solo artists, Simon Cowell and the other
00:14judges brought the five of them together to compete as a group, dubbed One Direction.
00:20They lost on the final weekend, but it was the start of one of the most successful ever
00:25boy bands, attracting millions of screaming fans.
00:31The outpouring of grief at Liam Payne's death in Buenos Aires on Wednesday is a small
00:37indicator of just how well-loved he and the band were.
00:42Born in Wolverhampton in 1993, Payne first auditioned for The X Factor in 2008, aged
00:4914, before trying again two years later.
00:53Being knocked back twice as a solo act, and failing to win the competition with One Direction
00:58were minor hiccups. The group would go on to release five albums, selling more than
01:0420 million copies, and embark on four world tours.
01:09Despite their success, One Direction split in 2016, and Payne embarked on a solo career.
01:15It was also at this time he began a relationship with Girls Aloud star Cheryl, whom he'd met
01:21when she was a judge on The X Factor.
01:24They had a son together in 2017, named Bear, but the couple split the following year.
01:30He was subsequently engaged to American model Maya Henry, but their relationship ended in
01:352022.
01:38Outside of music, Payne was known for his philanthropy and love of football. He was
01:42a big supporter of UNICEF, and captained the England team in the 2022 edition of Soccer
01:47Aid to raise funds for the children's charity.
01:51Aged just 31 at the time of his death, Payne had spent half of his life in the public eye.
01:58He has been candid about his struggles with his mental health, substance abuse and time
02:03in rehab.
02:05On Wednesday 16 October, emergency services were called to the Casa Sur hotel in the Buenos
02:11Aires neighbourhood of Palermo.
02:14Payne had fallen from his hotel balcony, and was pronounced dead at the scene.
02:19He had been in the Argentinian capital to see his former bandmate Niall Horan on his
02:24solo tour.
02:26Payne is survived by his son Bear, his parents Jeff and Karen, and his two older sisters
02:31Ruth and Nicola.
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