One Direction star Louis Tomlinson has thanked fans for their outpouring support since the news of his mother's death was confirmed on Friday. Taking to his social media sites on Monday, the 24-year-old shared a picture from his X Factor appearance where he bravely performed his first solo debut, Just Hold On, alongside DJ Steve Aoki as part of his mother's final wish.
The photograph, which has amassed over 1M likes on Instagram, was simply captioned: "Thank you for the incredible support :)." Louis took to the stage on Saturday night, just three days after his mother, Johannah Deakin, died after a battle with leukaemia. Although many had expected the star to cancel his appearance on the show, Louis bravely sang his new single with the whole of Wembley Arena cheering him on, as well as 1D stars Harry Styles, Liam Payne and Niall Horan, who turned up backstage.
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Johannah, 42, leaves behind six other children, Lottie, 18, Felicite, 16, twins Daisy and Phoebe, both 12, and twins Ernest and Doris, both aged two. She was also grandmother to Louis' ten-month-old son, Freddie. In a statement released to HELLO! Online, her family said: "It is with immeasurable sadness that Johannah Deakin’s family said goodbye to Johannah in the early hours of Wednesday 7th December 2016. Earlier this year Johannah was diagnosed with a very aggressive form of leukaemia that required immediate and continuous treatment. We respectfully request that the family are given time and space to grieve in private."
© Photo: RexLouis Tomlinson has thanked fans for their outpouring support after his mother's death
Earlier this year, Johannah was diagnosed with a "very aggressive" form of leukaemia. Her husband Dan Deakin added: "Johannah was first and foremost a truly amazing mother to seven children – Louis (24), Lottie (18), Félicité (16), and two sets of twins, Phoebe and Daisy (12) and Ernest and Doris (2) - whose individual talents and success are testament to the principles and beliefs she instilled in them. She was also an incredibly proud grandmother to Freddie.
"Incredibly selfless, she would always look to put other people before herself. She desired nothing more than for everyone around her to be happy and loving. She worked tirelessly on numerous charity campaigns, creating memories for many individuals and their families. It wasn't uncommon for Johannah to hear through the media of an individual in need of assistance, and she would immediately make it her objective to get that person what they often desperately needed, and rarely without success."
