Simon Cowell Reveals His Reaction On Hearing About Liam Payne's Death: So Shocked And Surprised

Simon Cowell, the man behind many stars in music, discussed how he heard about Liam Payne's death in October 2024. The 31-year-old singer died after falling from a third-floor balcony at a hotel in Buenos

Aires, Argentina, while intoxicated. In a new interview, Cowell shared that his first instinct was to reach out to Liam's parents.

Simon Cowell reflects on Liam Payne's death

Speaking with The New York Times, the American Idol judge remembered how he found out about Payne's death. He said, "Somebody who works with me very closely came into my room. 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. And it was like — wow."He continued, "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."Cowell, who helped launch Payne's career on The X Factor, remembered that he wanted to reach out to his family. He added, "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? Because, God, as a parent, what that must have felt like. I knew his mum and dad, and I wanted to reach out, just to say how I felt. It was just awful, awful."ALSO READ: Liam Payne's Mentor Simon Cowell Postpones Britain's Got Talent Auditions After One Direction Singer's Death

Last meeting with Liam Payne

The music producer recalled his last meeting with Payne and how well he had looked then. "I remember seeing him walk into this room and saying: 'God, you look amazing, Liam. What have you done? [He said,] 'Well, I'm going to the gym' … We talked about his son and how much it means to be a dad. 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," Cowell shared.

Formation of One Direction

Cowell met Payne when he was 14 years old after the late singer auditioned on The X Factor in 2008. Payne returned to the show in 2010 and teamed up with other contestants Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, and Louis Tomlinson to form One Direction. After the boy band was eliminated in the final episode of Season 7, Cowell signed them to his label, Syco Records.