Liam Payne

One-fifth of the boy band One Direction, Liam Payne got his big break as a contestant on The X Factor UK in 2010. Simon Cowell created the group — which consisted of Payne, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson — on the reality competition show. They finished in third place, going on to sign a recording contract with Cowell’s Syco Records and experience worldwide success.

As one of the best-selling boy bands of all time, One Direction released five Platinum albums before going on hiatus in 2016. Payne released his debut solo single, “Strip That Down,” in 2017 and his debut solo album, LP1, in 2019.

Payne dated dancer Danielle Peazer from 2010 to 2012 and Sophia Smith from 2013 to 2015. He moved on with Cheryl Cole in 2016, and the pair welcomed son Bear in March 2017 before their July 2018 split. Payne was in an on-and-off relationship with Maya Henry from 2018 to 2022, including a brief engagement in August 2020. Payne sparked a relationship with influencer Kate Cassidy in 2022.

In October 2024, CNN reported that Payne died at age 31 in Buenos Aires after falling from the third floor of a hotel.