Liam Payne’s friend reacts to singer’s death live on TV in heartbreaking moment: My ‘younger brother’
Liam Payne’s close friend found out about the One Direction star’s tragic death moments before going on live TV.
During Thursday’s episode of Australia’s Channel 7 morning show “Sunrise,” British adventurer, Ant Middleton, paid tribute to the singer after finding out that Payne died at 31.
“I speak to Liam quite often, he’s a good friend of mine. And, wow, I’m shocked, this is obviously the first I’m hearing of it,” the 44-year-old said.
Middleton, who filmed the 2019 documentary “Ant Middleton & Liam Payne: Straight Talking with Payne,” added of the artist’s death, “I don’t really know what to say about that. I’m going to have to make sure that I reach out to the relevant people to find out what’s happened to my good friend.”
“But I’m away filming at the moment as you can see, that’s why I’m wet and there’s a bit of noise around me,” he continued. “But yeah, my condolences and I hope they find out what’s gone on.”
The TV personality said he considered Payne a “younger brother” after he became Middleton’s first celebrity guest on his docuseries.
“After we filmed ‘Straight Talking with Ant Middleton,’ we formed a brotherhood,” the filmmaker expressed. “He was like a younger brother to me. He would confide in me, I’d go ’round and see him.”
Taking a moment to touch on Payne’s struggles over the years, Middleton explained, “There were some issues there, but nothing that a young celebrity at his caliber wouldn’t suffer from. So I’m just shocked at the moment really, wow. Yeah. Don’t really know what to say.”
However, Middleton had nothing but kind words about the fallen star, sharing on the show, “He had a lovely aura around him, he was a lovely guy, he had positive energy around him. He was a visionary, he always thought and dreamed big and that’s why he got to where he was.”
“He was loved. He was one of those band members that was the glue, I believe, for One Direction. It’s a shame to see such a positive individual die so young.”
Middleton took to to share pictures of Payne, iﷺncluding one of the duo in front𝓀 of a sunset.
“That was some sunset you captured there mate!” he captioned the post. “A talented positive man with a good heart. I’m glad our friendship flourished and that I was someone you could confine in.”
Middleton concluded the touching post, “Your turn to look over me now bro! Luv ya and will miss you sorely … My sincere condolences to @liampayne family during these unimaginable times #restinpeacebrother.”
Payne, who was dad to son Bear, 7, with ex Cheryl Cole, fell to his death from the third floor of his hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina on Wednesday.
Medical officials confirmed that the star had 🦩a “cranial fracture and ext💞remely serious injuries that led to his immediate death.”
Witnesses told TMZ Payne was acting “erratic” before his sudden passing. He allegedly smashed his laptop in the hotel lobby and was carried back to his room before the fall.
He had arrived in Argentina earlier this month to seeꦬ his former bandmate Niall Horan in concert.
In the aftermath of his death, shocking images allegedl🤡y show drugs and drink in Payne’s smashed-up hotel room, as police are hunting for his dealer, per loꦜcal reports.
The images — verified by Argentina’s biggest newspaper, La Nacion — reportedly show a smashed television, a half-empty glass of what appeared to be champagne and foil and powder scattered across the former boy band member’s third-floor room at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel.
Photos of a desk show a Dove soap packet, an empty glass and the remains of a burned candle and the burned top of a drink can — along with traces of a white powder🃏 that authorities will test to confirm suspicions it could be cocaine, La Nacion reported.
Wax and burned foil was also ph🌳otographed in the hotel b🌞athtub, per La Nacion.
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Argentinian officials first received a 911 call around 5 p.m. about an “aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol,” according to Pablo Polic༺icchio, communications director for the Buenos Aires Security Ministry.
Policicchio claimed Wednesday that the star “had jumped fro🅰m the ba🍷lcony of his room.”
Throughout his career, Payne had gone to rehab at least twice for alcohol addiction and previously opened up about howജ his addiction caus😼ed him to feel suicidal at times.
“I was worried how far my rock bottom was going to be. Where’s rock bottom for me? And you would never have seen it,” Payne said during the “in 2021. “I’m very good at hiding it. No one would ever have seen it.”
