Ione Wells
South America correspondent

Image source, Reuters

Crowds of people have gathered outside the hotel where Liam Payne fell from a balcony.

He, and his former band One Direction, have many fans here in South America.

In 2014, the band’s "Where We Are" tour kicked off in South America. They played in Bogotá, Lima, Santiago, Montevideo, Rio de Janeiro as well as two nights in both São Paulo and Buenos Aires.

The tour was the highest grossing tour of 2014, and the band’s most highly attended tour - attracting millions of fans.

Many of the group's fans grew up with Liam and his band mates. They shot to fame when Liam Payne was just 16, and he died at 31. A lot of his fans who have known him since the beginning will be a similar age - making it all the more shocking.

One Direction was one of the biggest bands of the 2010s, the BBC's Music Correspondent Mark Savage told Radio 5 Live a short while ago.

They sold 70 million records, with songs that everybody will know - like What Makes You Beautiful, Story of My Life, and Best Song Ever - dominating air waves.

"Liam was a key part of that band. He helped to write a lot of their songs, and of course, he had a very successful solo career after One Direction split," Savage says.

"[He had] several other high-profile singles, and was supposedly making music as recently as last month.

"So very much cut off in his prime."

Brazilian actress Maisa has shared a heartfelt tribute to Liam Payne on X, external, with two pictures of when she interviewed the singer in 2019.

"I will never forget the day I was able to interview one of the singers who was part of the soundtrack of my childhood and adolescence," she says.

"That moment will always be in my heart."

Mark Savage
BBC music correspondent

Liam auditioned twice for X Factor – making it through on his second attempt in 2010, after performing Michael Buble’s version of Cry Me A River.

He ended up being absorbed into One Direction, where he discovered a latent talent for songwriting. He had writing credits on half of the band’s final two albums, on songs like History, Steal My Girl and Story Of My Life.

When he launched a solo career, he took the opportunity to collaborate with some of pop’s biggest writers, including Ed Sheeran, Charlie Puth and Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic.

"Writing for One Direction was a different process because you knew what the kids wanted," he told the BBC.

"I love those songs - don't get me wrong - but I knew why I was writing them and I knew what I was writing them for."

On his solo material, he often avoided writing love songs, delving into more mature topics like depression, sex and heartbreak.

"I'm an absolute expert on heartbreak, it would seem," he said. "I think, for me, it was easier to write from a sad place, because the feelings were a little bit more raw."

We've got more to bring you from the police statement, which confirms that Payne died after falling from the third floor of a hotel in the Palermo neighbourhood of Buenos Aries, Argentina.

The statement says officers were dispatched to the hotel after an emergency call in which they were "informed of an aggressive man who may have been under the effects of drugs and alcohol".

When they arrived the officer in charge said he heard a loud sound in the inner courtyard of the hotel.

Police say the body has been transported to a morgue.

Mark Savage
BBC music correspondent

Liam was thrust into the spotlight when One Direction were formed on X Factor in 2010. Over the next half a decade, they sold 70 million records and played to thousands of screaming fans around the world.

Nothing could prepare you for that level of fame but, in an interview with the BBC in 2019, the singer said he had no regrets.

"I wouldn't change it," he said. "I know it's where I'm supposed to be in the world now.

"I was very confused about fame when it all happened; and learning to be a person outside of your job was difficult. But now I feel like I get it. I'm a lucky boy."

We are receiving photos from the Buenos Aires hotel where Payne was found dead earlier today.

Fans are gathering outside of the hotel and police have cordoned off the entrance way leading into the Casa Sur in Palermo.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Tributes are continuing to arrive.

The official X account of the Brit Awards says: "We're incredibly sad to learn of the tragic passing of Liam Payne. Our thoughts and prayers are with his friends and family at this time."

Media personality and fellow former X Factor contestant Rylan Clark says Liam Payne's death is "tragic".

In a post on X, he writes: "Extremely sad news. V tragic and so young. RIP Liam x"

Ian Youngs
Entertainment reporter

Image source, get

Millions of fans still have a special place in their hearts for One Direction, and they’ll be in total shock tonight after the reports of Liam’s death.

The group were one of the biggest pop groups in music history, and were a huge part of the lives of an entire generation.

They sold 70 million records and sold out stadiums around the world, and Liam was one of the group’s lynchpins.

The boys may have gone their separate ways in 2016, but there were periodic suggestions of a reunion, which no doubt would have sparked the fandom back into a frenzy if it had happened. Sadly, that will now never be the case.

We are beginning to see tributes for Payne.

On social media platform X, Paris Hilton calls the news "so upsetting".

"Sending love and condolences to his family & loved ones", the socialite writes, adding "RIP my friend".

In a social media post on X, Jedward - who also appeared on the X Factor - says they were sending "strength to Cheryl and his son Bear and all the One Direction family".

We'll continue bringing you condolences for the One Direction star as we receive them.

Ione Wells
South America correspondent, travelling to Buenos Aires

According to Billboard magazine, Payne attended a concert by his former band mate Niall Horan in Buenos Aires on 2 October.

As a huge celebrity, he was constantly in the spotlight.

In 2016, he began a relationship with Cheryl Tweedy. They had a child, Bear, in 2017. They separated in 2018.

He used his public platform to speak about his son often. He has also shared with his fans his struggles with battling depression, anxiety and spoken openly about his mental health.

Ione Wells
Foreign correspondent, travelling to Buenos Aires

The former One Direction star, Liam Payne, has died aged 31 in Buenos Aires, police in Argentina have said.

A police statement said he had fallen from the third floor of a hotel in Palermo, an upmarket neighbourhood in the city.

The head of the city’s SAME emergency medical service, Alberto Crescenti, tells local television he had suffered "very serious injuries incompatible with life as a result of his fall" and there was "no possibility of resuscitation".

He adds that Payne was taken to the Casa Sur hospital after a call was made to emergency services on Wednesday evening.

Ian Youngs
Entertainment reporter

Liam Payne first tried for stardom when he auditioned for The X Factor in 2008 – but judge Simon Cowell told him to "come back in two years".

So he did, impressing the judges more in 2010, and was put together with four other solo hopefuls at the boot camp stage. One Direction were born - they didn’t win the talent show, but swiftly found huge chart success and became the world’s biggest boy band.

They had four UK number one albums and four number ones singles as well as topping charts around the world, before splitting five years later.

In 2017, Liam’s debut solo single Strip That Down which peaked at number three on the Official UK Chart, and his collaboration with Rita Ora on the song For You - from the Fifty Shades Freed soundtrack – also reached the top 10.

He and Girls Aloud star Cheryl began a relationship in 2016 and had a son, Bear, the following year. The couple split in 2018.

In recent weeks, claims had circulated on social media about his behaviour towards other former partners, with one reported on Tuesday to have taken legal action to stop him contacting her friends and family.

According to a police statement quoted by the AFP news agency: "Liam James Payne, composer and guitarist, former member of the band One Direction, died today after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Palermo."

Local emergency medics say they arrived at the Casa Sur hotel shortly after 17:00 local time (21:00 BST), AFP reported.

Liam Payne, former member of One Direction, has died aged 31 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

He was found dead after falling from the third floor of a hotel, according to AFP news agency and local media citing police.

We’ll bring you more updates shortly.