Britain's Got Talent auditions cancelled by Simon Cowell after Liam Payne's death

Britain's Got Talent auditions in Blackpool have been cancelled today in the wake of One Direction star Liam Payne's tragic death after the worldwide star fell to his death

by · Wales Online

Simon Cowell has called off today's Britain's Got Talent auditions in Blackpool due to the tragic death of One Direction member Liam Payne.

Applause Store, the company responsible for ticketing the filming, announced on Thursday morning: "Due to the tragic passing of Liam Payne, BGT has decided to postpone today's auditions in Blackpool. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause."

The third day of auditions was scheduled to occur at Blackpool's Winter Gardens, with judges Simon, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and KSI set to film, along with hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly.

Liam, aged 31, tragically died after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Local authorities reported that the singer fell from the third floor into the courtyard of the Casa Sur Hotel in the Palermo district of Argentina's capital, before medics confirmed his death, reports the Express.

Liam Payne tragically plummeted to his death(Image: (Image: Getty))
Simon Cowell halted BGT auditions after the tragic news(Image: (Image: Getty))

Liam's death follows widespread reports that his ex-fiancee, Maya Henry, had initiated legal proceedings, allegedly issuing a cease and desist letter for repeated contact.

The US model, who was engaged to him from August 2020 until he announced their separation in June 2021, claimed in a recent TikTok video that, since their break-up, the singer would "blow up my phone" from different numbers. In the hours preceding his death, Payne reportedly posted a video on Snapchat saying: "It's a lovely day here in Argentina."

Simon Cowell was instrumental in launching Liam's career when he assembled boy band One Direction in 2010, which included Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Harry Styles, following their individual auditions for The X Factor.

Liam and his ex Cherly share seven-year-old son Bear together(Image: Getty Images)

After rising to become one of the world's most popular pop groups, with five albums and four global tours, they decided to take an indefinite break in 2016.

Among those honouring Payne was ex-X Factor presenter Dermot O'Leary, who posted on Instagram: "I remember him as a 14-year-old turning up to audition on The X Factor, and blowing us away singing Sinatra. He just loved to sing. He was always a joy, had time for everyone, polite, grateful, and was always humble."

Liam is survived by his seven year old son Bear, whom he co-parents with former X Factor judge Cheryl.