Simon Cowell has spoken candidly for the first time about the death of Liam Payne, revealing details of their final meeting and the advice he gave the former One Direction star.
The 66-year-old entertainment executive said Mr Payne visited his home around 12 months before the singer’s fatal fall from an Argentine hotel balcony in October 2024.
"When I heard the news, it really hit me," Mr Cowell said, describing his reaction to learning of the 31-year-old’s death at the Casa Sur Palmero hotel in Buenos Aires on October 16, 2024.
During their final meeting, Mr Cowell and Mr Payne spoke about fatherhood and his and ex-wife Cheryl's young son, Bear.
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Simon Cowell at Liam Payne's funeral in November 2024
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The X Factor creator offered guidance to the performer he first discovered as a 14-year-old competitor in 2010.
"I remember saying, ‘Music is not everything. Don't let it run your life anymore. Find something else that you are passionate about,’" Mr Cowell revealed.
He said Mr Payne appeared happier and more grounded at the time. "When I spoke to him that day, I felt really good about him. I thought, ‘Wow, you seem in a really good place,’" he added.
That conversation would ultimately be their last, taking place roughly a year before Mr Payne fell from a third-floor balcony and died aged 31.
Liam Payne died on October 16, 2024, after falling from his hotel balcony in Buenos Aires
|The entertainment boss admitted he has wrestled with regret since the tragedy. "You ask yourself that question: ‘Could I have done anything more? What would’ve happened to Liam if he hadn’t been in the band?’" Mr Cowell reflected.
However, recent conversations with Mr Payne’s parents Geoff and Karen gave him some comfort. "Having spoken to his mom and dad recently, all they kept telling me was he was so proud of what he had achieved," he said.
Mr Cowell, who formed One Direction on the 2010 edition of the X Factor and oversaw their rise to global superstardom, said he wishes he could "turn back the clock", but stressed that Mr Payne seemed genuinely well during their final encounter.
He also addressed criticism suggesting he was somehow responsible for the star's downward spiral.
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All five members of One Direction originally auditioned for the seventh series of The X Factor as solo artists
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"I don't read any of this stuff because if I did, you would just torture yourself," he told Rolling Stone.
He rejected the idea he held any responsibility for Mr Payne's fate, saying: "The idea that you are essentially responsible for somebody's life, 10 years after you've signed someone? You can't do that."
Mr Cowell insisted he does not feel responsible for the direction Mr Payne’s life took, despite having been the one who discovered and signed him as a teenager.
The revelations come as Mr Cowell promotes his new Netflix series, Simon Cowell: The Next Act, which documents his attempt to form a brand-new boyband.
The series, launching on December 10, captures the music executive’s anxieties about the project’s early struggles.
"I am very worried, I think we're gonna fail," Mr Cowell admits in the show, after initial audition numbers proved far lower than expected.
The programme follows his efforts to find new talent, alongside industry veteran Pete Waterman, his former Pop Idol colleague.
One Direction went on an indefinite hiatus in 2016
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Mr Cowell’s interview also comes amid ongoing legal developments in Argentina, where two individuals face charges linked to supplying drugs to Mr Payne ahead of his death.
A final inquest remains pending as authorities await detailed reports from Argentine investigators.
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