Perrie Edwards has made the heartfelt decision to cancel her upcoming BBC Radio 1 performance as a tribute to X Factor co-star Liam Payne following his tragic passing.
The Little Mix star, who gained fame on the ITV show a year after One Direction was formed, had been set to perform in the highly anticipated Live Lounge session on Friday.
© GettyHowever, in light of the devastating news of Liam's death, 31-year-old Perrie has chosen to step back out of respect for her late friend.
Perrie, who was previously engaged to Liam's former bandmate Zayn Malik, reportedly made the last-minute decision to honour Liam's memory and support those grieving his loss.
Radio 1 hosts Rickie Haywood-Williams, Melvin Odoom, and Charlie Hedges announced her withdrawal, saying: "We've just had some news on our show that because of the sad news of Liam Payne earlier, we have heard that Perrie is not going to be in the Live Lounge tomorrow.
© Getty"She was supposed to be performing but that's now not happening tomorrow but it will be happening at a later date."
Liam passed away, aged 31, after falling from a third-floor balcony of the Casa Sur Hotel in the Argentine capital on Wednesday.
His passing has sparked an outpouring of grief from his fans and former bandmates, with One Direction members Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles and Zayn paying their respects through touching tributes.
© Photo: InstagramZayn, who left the band in 2015 before embarking on a solo career, thanked Liam for "supporting me through some of the most difficult times in my life".
"When I was missing home as a 17 yr old kid you would always be there with a positive outlook and reassuring smile and let me know you were my friend and that I was loved," the 31-year-old singer said.
Both Zayn and Louis, 32, said they had "lost a brother" in separate statements on Instagram. Louis described the late singer as "the most vital part of One Direction," describing his "perfect pitch, his stage presence, (and) his gift for writing".
"I'm so grateful that we got even closer since the band, speaking on the phone for hours, reminiscing about all the thousands of amazing memories we had together is a luxury I thought I'd have with you for life," he added. "I would have loved to share the stage with you again but it wasn't to be."
The heartbreaking statement was shared by Perrie on her Instagram Stories, she also added a series of mending heart emojis.
Perrie met the One Direction boys on The X Factor UK in 2011 at the start of their successful music careers.
She dated Zayn for two years before he proposed in August 2013, but they split in 2015 before walking down the aisle.
Liam Payne's rise to fame and career timeline
© NBC- 2008: Liam auditions for The X-Factor at 14 years old and is told to come back in two years by Simon Cowell.
- 2010: Liam returns to The X-Factor auditions and is placed in a group with Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Harry Styles, forming One Direction. The band place third in the competition.
- September 2011: One Direction's debut single, 'What Makes You Beautiful' goes to number one in the UK and around the world. Since then, the band have had 14 top ten hits in the UK and four number-one albums on the Billboard 200.
- December 2011: Liam embarks on his first world tour with One Direction.
- November 2012: One Direction releases their second album, Take Me Home.
- August 2013: The band's documentary film One Direction: This Is Us, hit the big screen, with thousands of fans supporting the film at its premiere in London's Leicester Square.
- November 2013: One Direction releases their third album, Midnight Memories.
- December 2016: One Direction announce their indefinite hiatus.
- May 2017: Liam releases his debut single, 'Strip That Down', in May.
- December 2019: Liam releases his first and only album, LP1, which reaches the top 20 in the UK.
- March 2023: Liam releases a comeback single, 'Teardrops'.
- October 2023: Reports that Liam's second studio album has been put on hold.
