Nicole Scherzinger has opened up on her close friendship with the late Liam Payne and the bond they shared while filming one of his last projects
Nicole in a selfie with Liam and Kelly Rowland as they filmed his last project (Image: Instagram)
Nicole Scherzinger has opened up on her final conversation with Liam Payne on the day he died. The pair became friends after meeting on The X Factor when Nicole was the mentor and celebrity judge for his band One Direction.
The 47-year-old Pussycat Doll turned musical theatre star stayed in touch with Liam, who tragically died at the age of 31 after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires in October 2024. A post-mortem found he was under the influence of drugs and alcohol at the time.
They also appeared in episodes of new music reality show Building the Band together, which first aired on Netflix in July this year after Liam’s death. It was during filming that Liam and Nicole really bonded.
Speaking about Liam’s death, Nicole revealed that the One Direction star texted her on the day that he died and that she learnt of his death just before taking to the stage for a performance of Sunset Boulevard in New York.
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Nicole was One Direction’s mentor when they were put together on The X Factor(Image: Dave Allocca/Starpix/REX/Shutterstock)
In an interview with The Times, Nicole shared: “I just adored Liam. He had such a good heart. I barely knew him when I put One Direction together. I just saw these talented boys and was like, ‘I’m coming out of a girl group — I know the power of a group.’
Talking about the texts they exchanged on the day of his death, she continued: “I’d known he was in Argentina. It was just chit-chat and pretty light.”
Though she was devastated to hear of his death – and composer Andrew Lloyd Webber said the fact she went on stage that night was ‘extraordinary’ – Nicole said: “The show must go on.”
But she made sure she remembered her friend in a special way each night, adding: “From then on, I dedicated a little part of the show to Liam every night. Just a little moment that always made me think of him.”
It’s almost a year – on October 16 – that Liam died. In a previously unseen snap taken weeks before he died, he appeared happy as he filmed Building the Band alongside Nicole and Destiny’s Child icon Kelly Rowland.
The trio from three of the world’s biggest bands were all smiles as they were seen posing in the wings of the production stage. Liam looked dapper in a blue suit and black shirt, finishing his look with a pair of brown shoes as he flashed his famous grin at the camera. While, Nicole and Kelly looked sensational in PVC dresses.
Nicole previously told People magazine: “Liam is such a kind and beautiful heart, and selfishly I’m glad that I got to spend my time with him. I’m really happy that the world gets to see another one of his gifts, which is helping these blossoming artists, these bands. He was amazing.
“I was really impressed with him. He was just so giving and generous, even when the cameras weren’t rolling, spending time with all the fans and singing to them. It was lovely to watch him.”
In another interview she said that Liam was in his element on the programme, as he had always expressed his desire to help upcoming artists navigate the industry, based on his own experience. “I saw the joy it brought to Liam. I felt that this was his happy place. Like myself, AJ [McLean] and Kelly, we’ve lived this. We’ve learned it,” she said.
Continuing to Billboard, Nicole said: “I know how proud he was of this show, and I know the joy that he got from doing this. I feel like we are honouring him with this show, and that is such a beautiful thing. I’m so excited for people to see him in his highest light, giving back.”
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