How Liam Payne Was Honored on New TV Show 9 Months After His Death

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Liam Payne may be gone, but he’s certainly not forgotten.

During the debut of his latest Netflix reality show series, Building the Band, the host, AJ McLean, paid a heartfelt tribute to the late singer from the former boy band One Direction.

In the beginning of the episode that premiered on July 9, titled “Building the Band“, one of the Backstreet Boys members shared a heartfelt announcement: “At first, we didn’t think our friend Liam Payne would be leaving us so soon.” Later on in the series, Liam appears as a guest judge. Through his involvement, we get a glimpse of his profound affection for music and his constant dedication to assisting others in discovering their own musical talents.

AJ added, “It’s through that spirit that we dedicate this series to Liam and his family.”

The final TV appearance of Liam takes place with the show titled “Building the Band,” which happened approximately nine months following his death at the young age of 31. His unfortunate demise was due to a fall from a balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

As a devoted fan, I’m excited to share my involvement with an innovative new show, where I, along with music industry veterans such as Kelly Rowland and Nicole Scherzinger, serve as judges. This series gathers 50 talented young singers and artists into soundproof booths, preventing them from seeing each other directly. Instead, they unite through their vocal harmonies, basing their collaborations solely on the unique sounds of their voices. Once formed, these groups must work tirelessly to blend seamlessly, showcasing their collective talents live on stage in hopes of securing that top position.

Previously, in a sneak peek at the upcoming series, Liam shared insights with aspiring artists, drawing on his experiences from trying out for X Factor alongside One Direction back in 2010, before they had achieved worldwide fame.

He advised the rising talents, “You’ve got quite a bit of vocal work ahead. I want to sense a strong bond among you.

He told another group of competitors, “It’s unusual for these sets of bands to be assembled like this. We, on the other hand, were specifically assembled in this manner.

Regarding how Liam’s family felt about his posthumous TV appearance, his sisters – Ruth Gibbins and Nicola Payne – granted Netflix permission for the project, which was shot a mere two months prior to his unexpected death in October 2024.

In her Instagram Stories on June 28, Nicola (age 37) expressed her pride as a sister after the trailer release and stated that she’s incredibly proud of the show as well, knowing you feel the same. Over the past few months, watching this production has allowed us to remain connected and witness your best moments. I’m thrilled that everyone else can now experience it all too. You are truly a radiant star, deeply missed, and my love for you is immeasurable.

On my personal social platform, I expressed something that was on my mind: It’s strange for me after praising Liam’s work and accomplishments for fifteen years, not to see him enjoying the greatness he displayed in this show. His heartbreaking absence from witnessing it leaves me grief-stricken. Despite this, he knew he had done a commendable job. We all acknowledged his effort during filming, yet watching it back now, I’m truly amazed.

Keep reading for a look back at Liam’s life in pictures.

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2025-07-09 23:17