Liam Payne's shock death is a celebrity tragedy all too familiar

Too many talented artists are taken before their time by a wicked combination of drink and drugs, and the pressures of modern social media only seem to make things worse

Liam Payne’s tragic death is a reminder success is no guarantee of happiness.

This is, above all, a personal tragedy. Liam’s son, Bear, has lost a father, his parents have lost a child and his former bandmates have lost a much-loved colleague.

But it is also a moment of great sadness for millions of fans who have been with him ever since his first audition on The X Factor all the way to the global fame of One Direction and his subsequent solo career.

Liam is not the first star to have been taken from us at a young age after struggling with drink and drugs, and he will not be the last.

The story of a talented young singer suddenly being forced to cope with the scrutiny and attention that comes with instant stardom is all too familiar but it could be argued that those pressures are all the more extreme in the age of social media.

This is a time for mourning. At some point there should also be a time to reflect on celebrity culture and whether there is enough support for those thrust into the spotlight.

Ditch the fossil

Tory MP Sir Christopher Chope is such a dinosaur, he belongs in the Natural History Museum rather than Parliament.

His argument that Kemi Badenoch should not be leader because she is preoccupied with her children shows how certain Conservatives remain stuck in the 1950s. It is telling he did not say the same about her rival Robert Jenrick, who has kids of a similar age.

This is not the first time Sir Christopher has caused controversy. He also tried to block a Commons bill that would have criminalised the sinister practice of up-skirting. The Tories cannot claim to have changed when they still have MPs with such antiquated views.

Go on, my son

Thomas Tuchel’s mother believes it is “written in the stars” that her son will lead England to World Cup victory.

Let’s hope there’s some truth in the saying that mother knows best.