Rita Ora sobs on stage during emotional Liam Payne tribute following tragic death

Rita Ora has been left heartbroken following the tragic death of her friend and collaborator, Liam Payne

Rita Ora was visibly moved as she paid an emotional tribute to Liam Payne, who tragically passed away in Argentina. The singer shared a monochrome photo of herself and the One Direction star while performing on stage.

A social media fan page captured the poignant moment from Rita's show, captioning it: "Rita Ora, whom Liam collaborated with, displayed a picture of herself with Liam on the stage's screen while she performed their song 'For You'."

The Mirror also reports that Rita, who was close friends with the star, broke down in tears while singing. The pair had released their track 'For You' in 2018 for the film Fifty Shades Freed - it was among Liam's two songs as a solo artist to reach the top 10 in the UK official charts.

Liam, 31, tragically fell from the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with medics confirming his untimely death. It was just hours after the news broke that Rita took to the stage in Osaka, Japan where she honoured Liam.

As she performed 'For You', a picture of Rita and Liam was projected behind her as she struggled through the lyrics. In a heart-wrenching moment, Rita could be seen burying her face in her hands as she turned away from the audience.

She looked up and admitted: "I can't even sing this right now." Rita and Liam were reportedly very close, with the One Direction star even moving into Rita's £3.25m London penthouse in 2021 alongside his then-fiancée Maya Henry. After delivering a heartfelt performance, Rita expressed her sorrow on social media, saying: "I'm devastated. He had the kindest soul, I will never forget.

"I loved working with him so much - he was just such a joy to be around on and off stage. This tragic news breaks my heart. Sending all my love and prayers to his family and loved ones. Our song For You takes on a whole new meaning for me now. R.I.P."

While on holiday in South America, Liam was accompanied by his girlfriend, Kate Cassidy. However, she had returned to Florida shortly before the tragic incident.

Emergency services were seen outside a hotel building following the news of Liam's fall. Reports suggest that police responded to calls about a man behaving aggressively at the hotel, who may have been under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

An post-mortem has shed light on his death and states his was consistent with a 10-metre fall he suffered from the balcony of his room, located on the third floor of the Casa Sur hotel on Godoy Cruz Street. The report stated a toxicological and anatomical-pathological study of his blood and urine were being undertaken to determine whether there were any traces of drugs.