Simon Cowell canceled auditions for “Britain’s Got Talent” on Thursday following the sudden death of Liam Payne — a member of the boyband, One Direction, which Cowell notably put together over a decade ago.
Payne skyrocketed to global fame as a teen after Cowell placed him and four other young singers — Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik and Harry Styles — in a boyband in 2010 while on another of his shows, “The X Factor.”
The 31-year-old singer fell to his death Wednesday from the balcony of his third-floor hotel room in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he was visiting to watch his former bandmate, Horan, perform.
Cowell, who signed One Direction after they got third place on his show, responded by halting filming for his latest television series “Britain’s Got Talent.”
“Due to the tragic passing of Liam Payne, BGT has decided to postpone today’s auditions in Blackpool. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause,” Applause store, which sells tickets for the live show’s filming, wrote on X.
A spokesperson for the show’s producer, Freemantle UK, also confirmed the postponement in a statement to The Herald, saying, ” Due to the tragic passing of Liam Payne, we have decided to postpone the Britain’s Got Talent auditions.”
“Our thoughts are with Liam’s friends, family and all who loved him,” they added.
The producer did not say when auditions would resume.
Payne was a member of the beloved boyband One Direction up until the group disbanded in 2016 following the departure of Malik from the group.
None of Payne’s former bandmates had made statements regarding his passing as of Thursday morning, however, the official X account for “The X Factor” wrote: “We are heartbroken by the sad passing of Liam Payne.”
“He was immensely talented and, as part of One Direction, Liam will leave a lasting legacy on the music industry and fans around the world. Our thoughts are with his friends, family and all who loved him,” the statement said.
Local authorities in Buenos Aires are working on an autopsy to determine Payne’s official cause of death, as rumors swirl that the “Strip That Down” singer was on narcotics or alcohol at the time of his passing.
Throughout his career, both while with One Direction and after the band parted ways, Payne had gone to rehab at least twice for alcohol addiction — and previously opened up about how his addiction made him feel suicidal.
The singer fractured his skull and died instantly from “very serious injuries” after the sudden fall, officials confirmed Thursday.
Payne leaves behind a son, Bear, 7, with his ex, singer Cheryl Cole.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or text Crisis Text Line at 741741.