Simon Cowell cancels Britain’s Got Talent auditions following Liam Payne’s death

Former One Direction member Liam Payne was found dead in Buenos Aires on October 16, 2024, after he fell from a third-floor hotel room balcony. While fans of the singer and prominent celebrities have been sharing tributes for Liam, English TV personality Simon Cowell canceled the auditions for Britain's Got Talent on October 17, 2024, following news of the singer's demise.

Informing the public about the same, Applause Store, which is in charge of organizing tickets for the show's filming, took to X, stating:

"Due to the tragic passing of Liam Payne, BGT has decided to postpone today's auditions in Blackpool. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause."

In 2010, Simon Cowell placed Liam among Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, and Niall Horan in a boyband during The X Factor which is how One Direction was formed.

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Liam Payne fell from about 13 to 14 meters suffering severe injuries: More details explored

Liam Payne was born on August 29, 1993, in Wolverhampton, England. He auditioned for The X Factor at the age of 14 in 2008, performing a cover of Fly Me to the Moon. However, he was eventually eliminated from the contest and Simon Cowell encouraged him to return to the show "in two years."

Payne returned to the show in 2010 and earned a standing ovation from Cowell for his rendition of Cry Me a River during his successful solo audition. However, he was not selected to progress to further rounds later in the contest. Payne was then chosen along with four other contestants, Harry, Niall, Louis, and Zayn to form a boy band, after a suggestion from the show's guest judge Nicole Scherzinger. This band eventually became One Direction and went on to finish third on the show.

While the precise cause of Liam's death hasn't been confirmed yet, the medical emergency agency of Buenos Aires, SAME, confirmed the same to Rolling Stone's Argentina department. Additionally, Alberto Crescenti, director of SAME informed the local press that Liam Payne fell from "about 13 or 14 meters" and that he "suffered severe injuries incompatible with life."

According to BBC, local police in Buenos Aires have confirmed that an inspection was carried out on the ground floor of the hotel where he fell stating that a lighter, mobile phone, and a bottle of whiskey were found. Moreover, the hotel's staff mentioned that they found multiple items broken in Liam's room and found the room in "total disorder." They also found multiple packets of medication like Clonazepam along with over-the-counter medications in addition to which a passport and notebook were found at the scene.

The BBC reported that the singer's family has given a statement mentioning that they are heartbroken and that Liam will live in their hearts forever. The statement also said that Liam will be remembered for his funny, kind, and brave soul.

Liam Payne was seen attending One Direction bandmate Niall Horan's concert in Buenos Aires on October 2, 2024. Before attending the concert Liam took to Snapchat to tell his fans that he wanted to "square up" some things with Niall. In the video, Liam said:

“It’s been a while since me and Niall have spoken. We’ve got a lot to talk about. And I would like to square up a couple of things with the boy. No bad vibes or anything like that. But just, um, we need to talk.”

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None of Liam Payne's former bandmates have publicly made a statement about the singer's demise yet. The official X account of The X Factor tweeted that they were heartbroken by the sad passing of the Teardrops singer.

The X Factor account's tweet mentioned that Liam was immensely talented and he will leave a lasting legacy on the music industry as a part of One Direction, stating that the show's thoughts are with everyone who loved him.