THROUGHOUT my career I was lucky enough to meet Liam on multiple occasions.
Each time he was nothing but a gent.
He’d always greet you with a smile and actively want to give you a story.
The first time we met was around the release of his debut solo single Strip That Down and I was a fresh-faced reporter new to London.
After our group interview he and I posed for a picture and Liam kindly encouraged me in my work – sensing my nerves.
Smiling, he told me I asked ‘good questions’.
Were they? I doubt it. But the sentiment went a long way.
Liam was set to sit down for an interview with me in late 2025 to talk about his delayed second album.
Sadly, it was never to be.
And since that tragic day in October last year, I’ve covered his death and the subsequent events greatly.
Each time I’ve tried my hardest to be as sensitive as possible.
Because while Liam’s life and passing enters the newscyle once more, and the nation reads about the events of 2025, his family will spend the day in quiet reflection at their modest home in Wolverhampton.
There will be no official statement, no new music release, no overproduced social media video.
To them he was Liam, not the global superstar we all know.
For 12 months they have kept a dignified silence the late Queen would be proud of, as rumours and speculation swirled – sadly all too inevitably – around the world.
It’s my understanding this will continue. They have zero desire to enter the circus and I can’t say I blame them.
Liam Payne’s sad death
On October 16, 2024, Liam Payne sadly died, leaving family, friends and fans devastated.
Here we take you through the biggest stories to unfold since his tragic passing:
What they want, I imagine, is for the noise to die down and for justice to be found in the ongoing legal proceedings in Argentina.
But as we hit the unwanted milestone of a year since his tragic death, I fear social media trolls will descend to new depths.
Sick memes and jokes in their desperate bid for ‘likes’ are all too common.
Yes, Liam was a superstar and achieved more in 31 years than I will probably achieve in my lifetime.
But before they post online, they need to remember what’s at the heart of all this.
A family has lost their boy.
Before he was a singer and global celebrity, Liam was a son, brother, boyfriend, and father.
Liam said it best himself in 2022.
The thing he wanted to be remembered for the most was ‘being a nice guy’.
