Footage of Liam Payne’s first audition on The X Factor has resurfaced online in the wake of the tragic news of his passing at the age of 31.
Early this morning, police in Argentina confirmed that the former One Direction member died after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires on October 16.
In the hours following his death, fans have taken to social media to share heartfelt tributes, and clips from his initial auditions on the ITV singing series have also emerged once again.
Payne was only 14 when he first auditioned for judges Simon Cowell, Cheryl Tweedy (then Cole), and Louis Walsh, performing a rendition of Frank Sinatra’s “Fly Me to the Moon.”
He advanced to the judges’ houses but was advised by Cowell to return in two years. Following that advice, he re-auditioned in 2010 and was ultimately placed in the group One Direction alongside Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik.
In the clip, an enthusiastic Liam shares with the camera, “When I’m at school, I find myself thinking about singing all the time. I know I should be focusing on my schoolwork, but singing is just always on my mind.”
He then steps into the audition and delivers his rendition of the Sinatra classic. Cheryl responds with, “I liked it. I think you’re really cute, and you’ve got charisma. That cheeky little wink you gave us was great!”
Walsh chimed in, saying, “I believe this kid could really excel in the show.”
Cowell, however, wasn’t fully convinced by the performance, commenting, “I’m just missing a bit of grit, a bit of emotion, and surprisingly, a bit of fun.”
He then told the teenager that there was “20 percent missing.” In response, Payne confidently asked the judges for another chance to demonstrate that he had “that 20 percent.” His determination earned him a spot in the next round.
Additional details about the singer’s death have surfaced, with Alberto Crescenti, head of the state emergency medical system, stating that Payne fell approximately 40 meters and sustained “severe injuries that were incompatible with life.”
“The alarm was raised at 5:04 PM local time, reporting a person lying in an internal courtyard at Casa Sur,” he explained. “An ambulance arrived at 5:11 PM, and the man was pronounced dead.”
“Afterward, we learned he was a well-known singer. Sadly, the injuries he sustained from the fall were fatal, and there was no chance of resuscitation.”
