Sharon Osbourne has shared an emotional tribute following the death of Liam Payne

The devastating news of Liam Payne’s death has shocked the music industry and tributes have poured in from friends, fans and other celebrities online, with one of the latest coming from former X Factor judge Sharon

Former X Factor judge Sharon Osbourne said the music industry had failed One Direction star Liam Payne, who was “just a kid” when he entered “one of the toughest industries in the world.”

The British singer-songwriter rose to fame after being put together with Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson on The X Factor in 2010. Sharon, who was a judge on the ITV talent show for seven years, made a guest appearance on the 2010 show to assist Louis Walsh at the judges’ houses phase of the competition.

Liam’s tragic death was announced on Wednesday. The former One Direction hitmaker was holidaying in Buenos Aires with his girlfriend Kate Cassidy when he fell around 13 or 14 metres from the third floor of a hotel. While City ambulance service provider spokesman Alberto Crescenti said he had fallen around 40 feet and suffered “severe injuries which were incompatible with life.”

The devastating news of Liam’s death has shocked the music industry and tributes have poured in for Liam from friends, fans and other celebrities online, with one of the latest being Sharon Osbourne. Taking to Instagram Sharon,72, wrote: ” Liam, my heart aches. We all let you down. Where was this industry when you needed them? You were just a kid when you entered one of the toughest industries in the world. Who was in your corner? Rest in peace my friend.”

One Direction finished third in The X Factor behind Rebecca Ferguson and winner Matt Cardle. The group released five studio albums and won seven Brit Awards, including for their 2012 debut hit What Makes You Beautiful and the track History from their last album in 2015.

Liam previously said he struggled with alcoholism at the peak of his success, describing hitting “rock bottom” to The Diary Of A CEO podcast host Steven Bartlett. He admitted his addiction to alcohol continued during the Covid pandemic, but in 2023 he posted a YouTube video confirming he was almost six months sober after nearly 100 days in a US rehab facility.

According to reports, staff at the Argentine hotel where Liam died made two calls to emergency services with audio revealing a staff member had asked for assistance for a guest who was “intoxicated by drugs and alcohol”. Police in Buenos Aires said the music star’s hotel room had been “in complete disarray” with “various items broken”, adding that a whiskey bottle, lighter and mobile phone had been retrieved where Payne’s body was found.

One Direction have released a statement following the tragic news ( 
Image:
PA Archive/PA Images)
Liam’s One Direction bandmates have said they are “completely devastated” by the news of his death, adding: “The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever.”

In a statement signed “Louis, Zayn, Niall and Harry”, Liam Payne’s One Direction bandmates said earlier: “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.

“The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever. 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.”

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Liam Payne’s heartbroken former fiancée Maya Henry says the former One Direction star chillingly predicted his early death. Maya had discussed their troubled relationship in a TikTok video last week and a podcast interview on Monday, two days before his death. On Monday the model told YouTube podcast The Internet Is Dead: “He would always message me ever since we broke up saying, ‘I am not well’.

“He would always play with death, saying, ‘I am going to die, I am not doing well’. There was one time that I tried to get him help and he was not taking it. He would text my mum and say ‘I’m not doing well, have Maya contact me’ because I wouldn’t respond,” reports The Sun.