Simon Cowell and Lauren Silverman were in attendance at the funeral of Liam Payne. Held on Wednesday 20 November, the couple were photographed outside a church in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, where they paid their respects to the late One Direction star.
Simon – who worked with Liam on The X Factor – and Lauren, his fiancée, held hands as they headed into the service. Alongside his family members; Liam's One Direction bandmates, and his girlfriend, Kate Cassidy were also in attendance.
© GettyLiam's coffin arrived at the church in a white horse-drawn hearse, decorated with floral tributes that read 'Son' and 'Daddy', the latter a tribute from his son, Bear, whom he shares with his former partner, Cheryl.
Prior to the funeral, Simon, 65, had honoured the late singer with an emotional tribute on Instagram.
© Getty"You never really know how you feel about someone until a moment like this happens. Liam, I am devastated. Heartbroken. And I feel empty. And I want you to know how much love and respect I have for you. Every tear I have shed is a memory of you. This is so difficult to put into words right now," he began.
Explaining that he had reunited with Liam in 2023, Simon continued: "You came to see me last year. Not for a meeting. Just to sit and talk. And we reminisced about all of the fun times we had together. And how proud you were to be a Dad.
"After you left, I was reminded that you were still the sweet, kind boy I met all those years ago. I have met your son, Bear. He has your smile and that twinkle in his eyes you have. And he will be so proud of everything you achieved. And how you achieved it."
Simon concluded by sending his "love, thoughts and prayers," to Liam's family.
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.
Tragically, Liam passed away at the age of 31, after falling from the third floor of his hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Leading local newspapers La Nacion and Clarin claim police arrived at the scene, but sadly, by the time emergency responders attended to Liam, it was too late. Ambulance workers confirmed the singer's death after finding him in an interior patio of the hotel.
© Karwai TangThe musician's body was released by Argentinian authorities to his family earlier this month to be flown back to the UK ahead of the funeral, with Liam's father, Geoff Payne, travelling to Buenos Aires for the repatriation.
An investigation has been launched into his death by prosecutors, and three people have been charged in connection with the incident.
