Liam Payne death: Everything we know so far after star falls from balcony in Argentina

One Direction star Liam Payne has tragically died at the age of 31.

The popstar died after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires on Wednesday. He fell from the third floor into the courtyard of the Casa Sur Hotel in the Palermo neighbourhood, police have confirmed.

The news has sent shockwaves around the world, with devastated fans and showbiz stars paying tribute. Below is everything we know so far after Liam's death.

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What police in Argentina have said

In the early hours of this morning, police in Argentina confirmed that a 911 call was made from the Casa Sur hotel.

In the call, officers were reportedly alerted to reports of 'an aggressive man who may have been under the effects of drugs and alcohol'. When police arrived at the Casa Sur Hotel in the Palermo neighbourhood, a loud bang was then reportedly heard from an inner courtyard.

Paramedics arrived on the scene shortly after 5pm local time. Liam was found with 'very serious injuries' which meant there was 'no possibility of resuscitation'.

Police confirmed that he had fallen from a third floor balcony. In a statement given to the AFP agency, officers said: "Liam James Payne, composer and guitarist, former member of the band One Direction, died today after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Palermo."

What the Foreign Office has said

The Foreign Office (FCDO) confirmed it is in contact with authorities in Argentina 'regarding reports of the death of a British man'.

But a spokesperson for the FCDO declined to comment any further, including on the identity of the man involved.

What Liam was doing in Argentina

Before his sudden passing, Liam had posted a carefree photo of himself without a shirt, accompanied by his girlfriend Kate Cassidy in a black bikini. Liam was actively chatting with fans through Snapchat, sharing glimpses of his personal moments in the hours leading up to his death.

He shared a snapshot of his morning routine where he and his girlfriend were having breakfast; Liam described them as "enjoying coffee" around 1pm.

During his update on Snapchat, Liam spoke about their plans for the day which included horse riding and the possibility of playing Polo once again, sharing candidly that the sport was "hard to do". He even humorously hinted at the physical toll it takes, mentioning the potential neck and back pain from swinging the mallet.

Earlier this month, Liam attended bandmate Niall Horan’s Argentinian concert alongside his girlfriend.

Who was Liam Payne?

Liam formed boy band One Direction in 2010, alongside Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Harry Styles, after they individually auditioned for The X Factor. After becoming one of the biggest pop groups in the world with five albums and four world tours, One Direction went on indefinite hiatus in 2016.

Liam was born in Wolverhampton and released his debut solo album LP1 in December 2019 which included the songs Polaroid, Familiar and Strip That Down featuring Quavo. The song was one of two tracks that reached the top 10 in the UK official charts, alongside For You with Rita Ora from the film Fifty Shades Freed – which the duo performed at the Brit Awards in 2018.

Liam and Girls Aloud singer Cheryl share a son Bear, born in 2017, having been in a high-profile relationship between 2016 and 2018.

Tributes pour in for star

TV presenter Dermot O’Leary recalled Liam auditioning for The X Factor as a 14-year-old boy, as he paid tribute to the singer following his death. O’Leary, who hosted The X Factor during both of Liam's appearances, shared a photograph of the pair on stage, captioning the Instagram post: “The worst news”.

“I remember him as a 14-year-old turning up to audition on The X Factor, and blowing us away singing Sinatra. He just loved to sing,” he wrote.

“He was always a joy, had time for everyone, polite, grateful, and was always humble.”

Harry Styles' mother Anne Twist posted a broken-hearted emoji on Instagram, captioning it: “Just a boy.”

Singer Olly Murs, who starred on The X Factor a year before One Direction, said he was “lost for words”, describing Liam's death as “devastating” on Instagram.

“We always had a good laugh when we saw each other, sometimes the catch ups were only short and sweet but when we did it was mostly about how annoyingly good his hair always looked, or our love for Becks, the old XF (X Factor) days and the tour we shared together,” Murs wrote beside a picture of the pair.

“Liam shared the same passions as me, the same dreams so to see his life now end so young hits hard, I’m truly gutted and devastated for his family and of course his son Bear losing a dad.”

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