Simon Cowell Says He Gave Liam Payne ‘Life’ Advice Prior to His Shocking 2024 Death

Simon Cowell has revealed that he spoke to  Liam Payne a year before his death and urged the singer “not to let music run his life”.

Cowell signed Payne and One Direction on The X Factor in 2010 and they enjoyed huge success.

But after they split and went on to have solo careers Payne died on October 16, 2024, at the age of 31, after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina.

“When I heard the news, it really hit me. I saw him a year before this happened,” Cowell, 66, said of Payne an interview with Rolling Stone, published on Monday, November 24. “When I heard the news, it really hit me. I saw him a year before this happened. He came over to my house. We talked about his son and being a dad. I remember saying, ‘Music is not everything.  Don’t let it run your life anymore. Find something else that you are passionate about.’”

He continued: “You ask yourself that question: ‘Could I have done anything more?  What would’ve happened to Liam if he hadn’t been in the band?’ Having spoken to his mom and dad recently, all they kept telling me was he was so proud of what he had achieved. I wish I could turn back the clock, of course. When I spoke to him that day, I felt really good about him. I thought, ‘Wow, you seem in a really good place’.”

Payne died shortly after a hotel staff member called police with concerns that the star was “overwhelmed by drugs and alcohol”.

Five people were charged in relation to death. Manslaughter charges against three were dropped, but two men still face charges of selling Payne cocaine before his death.