Trigger warning: This article mentions death.
In the wake of Liam Payne’s tragic and unfortunate passing at the age of 31, The X Factor, the reality show that led to the formation of One Direction, took to social media to mourn the passing of the former band member.
Payne, who was one of the five members grouped together on The X Factor to form One Direction, initially auditioned twice on the show as a solo artist.
“We are saddened by the tragic passing of Liam Payne,” The X Factor wrote in a statement following Payne’s unfortunate passing. He added, “He was extremely talented and as part of One Direction, Liam will leave a lasting legacy on the music industry and fans around the world.”
“Our thoughts are with his friends, family and everyone who loved him,” it said at the conclusion of the reality show.
Liam Payne first auditioned for The
14-year-old Payne performed Frank Sinatra’s Fly Me to the Moon in front of judges Simon Cowell, Louis Walsh, Cheryl Cole and Dannii Minogue during the first round of auditions.
When he moved on to the next stage, Payne was cut in the boot camp round of the show. However, Cowell had a change of heart and asked Payne to return to the Judges’ House stage.
Unfortunately, the then-teenage singer failed to impress the judges in the third stage. Cowell then asked Payne to “come back in two years”.
Payne remembered Cowell’s words and returned to The X Factor for a re-audition during the show’s seventh season in 2010. He performed a soulful rendition of Michael Bublé’s version of Cry Me a River and earned not only 4 yeses from the judges, but a standing ovation from Cowell.
While Liam Payne was considered one of two contestants with the potential to ultimately win the show, he failed to make it into the “Boys” category at the judges’ home round.
However, guest judge Nicole Scherzinger suggested that Payne should form a five-piece boy band with Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan.
The group came together during the bootcamp round of the competition at Wembley Arena and successfully qualified in the “Group” category.
The boys were grouped together for two weeks to practice for the next round and become familiar with each other. Payne performed an acoustic version of Ednaswap’s Torn in the judges’ house round with Malik, Styles, Tomlinson and Horan and won over the judges.
One Direction gained immense popularity in the UK during The X Factor (2010) and the group, including Payne, ultimately finished the show in third place. The group became a phenomenon and is considered one of the world’s most popular boy bands of all time.
Also read: Former One Direction star Liam Payne dies aged 31 after fall in Buenos Aires; report
