The tragic passing of Liam Payne continues to sadden One Direction fans and the world at large. Now, over a year later, Simon Cowell, the band’s founder, recently reflected on how he learned of his death. The “America’s Got Talent” judge is also sharing what he did after receiving the somber news.
Cowell appeared on a November 2025 episode of The New York Times’ The Interview podcast. While on the show, the topic of Payne and his passing came up. Regarding how he learned of it, the “America’s Got Talent” judge said, “Somebody who works with me very closely came into my room.”
He continued, “I was up in the north of England, and I could tell by the look of her face that she was upset. She said, ‘Sit down,’ and she told me.” Cowell then said, “It was like — wow.”
Cowell went on, “It was a bit like I felt when I heard the news when my dad passed away. It’s very difficult to put into words how you feel. It’s just shock. At that point, you’re not really thinking clearly. I just remember saying: ‘I really need to speak to his mum and dad. Can you get them on the phone as soon as possible, please?'”
He then recalled a conversation with Payne from a year before his passing. In it, the former One Direction member shared with Cowell “how much it means to be a dad.”
Cowell said, “I was talking to him about there’s more to life than just music; you’ve got to a point in your life where you’ve got choice now. We just hung out as friends. That’s why I was so shocked and surprised when I heard the news.”
Liam Payne Passed Away in October 2024
Sadly, Payne passed away on October 16, 2024, while in Argentina. One year after his death, his girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, took to Instagram to pay tribute to his life.
Cassidy posted a photo of them together. She said in the caption, “Today marks a full year without you here. I will forever hate goodbyes. I miss you, Liam.”
His sister, Ruth Gibbins, also made a heartfelt Instagram post. She began, “1year, 12months, 52weeks, 365days… whichever way I say it, it still means the most heartbreaking truth that you’re not here any more.”
She continued, “When you used to go away on tour, and l’d cry that you’d be gone for a while, I always knew you’d come back, but now I can’t get you home, I can’t meet up with you somewhere in the world, I can’t FaceTime or text to see how you’re doing, it’s an eternal homesick feeling because we can’t go back.”
Gibbins went on, remarking on how the grief associated with Payne’s passing still “paralysed” her.
Two of the Former One Direction Members Are Teaming Up
Each one of the remaining One Direction members- Harry Styles, Zayne Malik, Niall Horan, and Louis Tomlinson- has been careful to keep Payne’s legacy alive. Not only have these been mentions of some sort of music-related reunion, according to Variety, Malik and Tomlinson are teaming up.
The two former bandmates are planning to release a road trip documentary on Netflix in 2026. The documentary will find them traveling across America, and the press release says the trip includes “reconnection, exploration, and a lot of laughter.”
