Dannyka Manangan

Simon Cowell recalls hearing about death of Liam Payne: ‘It was just awful’

Article (news)

Peter Andrew Acierto

Push Team

<p>English personality and record executive Simon Cowell recalled the time when he heard about the passing of singer-songwriter Liam Payne. In an interview with Lulu Garcia-Navarro for <em>The New York Times, </em>the <em>X Factor</em> judge expressed how painful the news was for him especially when he just saw him a year prior to his passing.</p><div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=476&amp;href=https%3A%2F%2Fweb.facebook.com%2Fnytimes%2Fvideos%2F832516516066845%2F&amp;show_text=false&amp;width=267&amp;t=0" width="267" height="476" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div><br/></div><p>Liam was part of One Direction which was formed back in 2010 where Simon played a huge factor in their success.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/music/2025/10/16/on-this-day-remember-one-direction-s-liam-payne-with-these-songs-1711" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>READ: Remember One Direction’s Liam Payne with these songs</strong></a></div><p>Simon remembered how someone broke the news to him when he was in the north of England. He added how he wasn’t thinking clearly at that point and wanted to hear from Liam’s parents as soon as possible.</p><p>“I could tell from the look on her face that she was upset and she said sit down and she told me. It was like wow, it’s a bit like I felt when I heard the news about when my dad passed away. It’s just a shock, a total shock, and it was a surprise,” he shared.</p><p>“I just remember saying I really need to speak to his mom and dad, can you get them on the phone? As soon as possible please. Because I know, as a parent, you know what that must have felt like. I knew his mom and dad and I wanted to reach out at that moment just to say how I felt,” he continued.</p><p>Upon hearing the unfortunate news, Simon remembered the time the late singer-songwriter came to his home a year prior to his passing. He recalled how “amazing” Liam looked and their conversation which revolved around the latter’s son.</p><p>Simon admitted that there are days that he wished he could’ve said some things when Liam visited him in his home.</p><p>“If I could go back in time to that one day when he was in my house here, then obviously, you know, you always think about things like that. What if I’d said this? What if I said that? But I’m not a manager which means my job is to run the label. You just hope that they are first of all, successful and happy,” he ended.</p><p>Liam passed away back in 2024 after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It was revealed that the British singer consumed cocaine, alcohol, and a prescription antidepressant before he fell to his death. </p>