Liam Payne was desperate to be part of another famous band before One Direction

Strictly Come Dancing star has claimed that back in 2008 Liam Payne wanted to become a member of JLS while auditioning on the X Factor two years before joining One Direction

Strictly Come Dancing star JB Gill has revealed that the late Liam Payne once expressed an interest in becoming part of JLS.

JB, 37, first met the One Direction star in 2008 when they were auditioning for the X Factor. Liam was auditioning as a solo artist at the time, but was knocked out of the ITV competition at the bootcamp stage. During a Strictly press event, he admitted to the Daily Mail: "He wanted to be in JLS, to be honest. But when he got knocked out at boot camp, we said 'just keep going, keep working hard, you'll get your chance'. I'm obviously glad that he was able to do that."

He added: "I don't know all the ins and outs... But one of the things I've taken as a silver lining is that he was actually able to do what he set out to do, which was to sing and share his voice with the world. I think it's something that anyone who knew him, even his fans, will be able to take away from this incredibly sad situation."

Two years later in 2010, Liam returned to the show and Simon Cowell formed One Direction along with Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson.' The late singer fell to his death from a third floor balcony at his hotel in Bueno Aires, in Argentina earlier this month.

According to reports there were a number of contributing factors that led to his death, including substances such as pink cocaine. According to local news outlets, Liam sustained a number of injuries from his fall that resulted in the star's death.

Shortly after news emerged of his death, the protection of artists' mental health by record companies has been a major discussion. And now, the ID star's fans have launched a petition calling for new laws to protect musicians. The petition has already received more than 17,000 signatures ahead of its target of 25,000. It calls for government intervention to make sure the mental health of performers are at the forefront of record executives.

This is believed to include mental health check ups, rest periods and regular support throughout their careers. Moments before his tragic fall, the police were reportedly called about an "an aggressive man who may have been under the effects of drugs and alcohol."

When emergency services arrived at the hotel, they found a body laying in the hotel's courtyard. The petition stated: "The entertainment industry, acclaimed for its glamour and stardom, is equally infamous for the enormous pressure it exerts on the mental health of artists. Resultant issues such as stress, anxiety, depression, substance misuse and even suicide are alarmingly high." It added: "According to research, performers are 2-3 times more likely to suffer from these issues compared to the general population."

Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok,Snapchat,Instagram,Twitter,Facebook,YouTubeandThreads