"On the Wednesday when he died, she was still texting him" - Composer says Nicole Scherzinger was texting Liam Payne on the day he passed away

English music composer Andrew Lloyd Webber recently revealed Nicole Scherzinger had been texting Liam Payne on October 16, before his death.

Having worked with the former Pussycat Dolls member on Jamie Lloyd-directed musical Sunset Blvd, Andrew addressed Nicole and the late One Direction singer’s relationship during a Billboard interview published on October 24.

While speaking about Jamie Lloyd's vision of Sunset Blvd and his intent to have Nicole star in it, Andrew, who has been acquainted with the singer for 15 years, said:

"One thing about Nicole is that once she’s committed to something, she is the most incredible company member and leader of any performer I know."

Andrew continued:

"I suppose something that hasn’t been said, and I suppose I could say, is that of course, she mentored Liam [Payne], from One Direction. On the Wednesday when he died, she was still texting him that day."

The 76-year-old lauded Nicole Scherzinger for maintaining her professionalism and dedication to her work. Andrew called it "extraordinary" that even after learning of Liam's death that evening, Nicole went on to perform the musical on stage. He added:

"I mean she is an amazing, amazing woman. She is without any question one of the finest performers I’ve ever worked with."

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Nicole Scherzinger met Liam Payne on The X-Factor UK in 2010

As a judge on The X-Factor UK, Nicole Scherzinger first met Liam Payne in 2010, when he auditioned for the show as a teenager.

A never-before-seen behind-the-scenes clip posted by The X-Factor UK on their official YouTube channel captured how Nicole came up with the idea to put some of the contestants in a group together rather than having to let them go.

In the video posted on July 23, 2022, upon Nicole's idea of "an imaginary boy group", the other two judges, Simon Cowell and Louis Walsh, sorted Niall Horan, Harry Styles, and Louis Tomlinson's pictures. Nicole said:

"I think they'll be really great in a boy band together. They're like little stars, and you can't get rid of little stars, so you put 'em all together."

She then added Liam Payne's photos to the stack, saying:

"I think that he would definitely shine, he could actually maybe be the leader."

The judges finally decided upon the group after sorting Zayn's photo with the four of them. Nicole Scherzinger had said at the time:

"They’re just too talented to get rid of and they’ve got just the right look and the right charisma on stage."

She added:

"I think they’ll be really great in a boy band together."

Liam Payne worked as a judge and a mentor alongside Nicole Scherzinger and Kelly Rowland in the upcoming Netflix show, Building the Band. The show was filmed before Liam's untimely death at 31.

Nicole Scherzinger remembered the late One Direction member in an Instagram post shared on October 25. She wrote:

"I will forever cherish and treasure the time we shared together, from fifteen years ago when One Direction was born, right up until just a few weeks ago."

Supposedly referring to the upcoming Netflix show, the 46-year-old said:

"It was such a blessing to get to work with you recently. We shared the same love and passion for music and I will forever remember the meaningful and joyful conversations we had."

Nicole Scherzinger expressed it was difficult coming to terms with Liam's absence, but said she is "grateful" to have known him. Addressing the Teardrop singer as a "friend", Nicole promised to carry his memories and sent her condolences to his family.