Liam Payne remembered as “funny and charismatic” by NI fans

ONE Direction fans in Northern Ireland are mourning the death of Liam Payne.

The 31-year-old died after falling from the third-floor balcony of a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Speaking to the Irish News, dedicated Directioner Courtney McKay (25) from Co Antrim said she “couldn’t believe it” when she heard of the tragedy which occurred on October 16.

“My friends and I always joked that we’d be in our 70s and our kids would come in and tell us such and such from One Direction had died,” she recalls.

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“We always thought something like this would happen when we were old.”

Courtney was one of hundreds of Northern Irish fans who attended One Direction’s Belfast concert in 2015 which the band were forced to cancel at the last minute after Payne became sick and could not go on stage, with many finding out after entering the venue.

It was later reported that the pressure of fame and being on the road had taken its toll on Liam.

“I remember them coming out to tell us that they wouldn’t be performing, and it felt like the whole stadium just started bawling.

“It seems so funny looking back now but at the time it was the worst thing that could’ve happened – I honestly can’t imagine how 16-year-old me would’ve coped with what’s just happened – I still can’t believe it.”

Payne’s journey to stardom began when he was 14 years old at his lesser known first audition for The X Factor.

The Wolverhampton teen reached the judges’ houses stage in 2008 but came back two years later as Simon Cowell had advised.

At 16, Payne initially auditioned as a solo act but was given a second chance to come back as part of a group at Bootcamp, forming what would become one of the talent show’s biggest success stories – One Direction.

The band- comprising of Payne, Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson – rose to international fame despite only placing third in the show.

“Liam was always my favourite in the band,” adds Courtney.

“He was very funny and charismatic – I think One Direction was one of those bands where you loved them all, but everyone had a favourite but there maybe wasn’t a reason why – you were just drawn to them.”

The band became one of the biggest pop groups in the world with five albums, four world tours, one movie and a memorable music video for Red Nose Day in 2013 which featured then prime minister David Cameron happening upon them dancing in front of Number 10 Downing Street.

“It was weird because they were five boys we obviously didn’t know but because they were producing so much content and they were basically everywhere it felt like you did.

“They felt like friends – especially because they made up such a big part of my childhood.”

This is something fellow Co Antrim One Direction fan Abbie Winning (23) agrees with.

“Whenever a group is as big as One Direction, I think the relationship becomes parasocial – where you feel like you really know them.

“My first thought when it was announced that Liam had died was that he had a child and that there’s a seven-year-old being told this morning that he’s never seeing his daddy again.

“I think that’s why it had such an impact on people because when a celebrity dies, and you don’t know much about them it’s really sad whereas whenever it’s someone like Liam and you know so much about their personal lives you can’t help but think about the knock on effect his death will have.”

Since One Direction announced their indefinite hiatus in 2016 it had been the hope of fans around the world that they would eventually reunite.

“Someone online said that the One Direction reunion we all wanted is going to happen but it’s going to be his funeral – which is devastating,” says Courtney.

Abbie adds: “I think for so many of us One Direction were part of such a happy time, but I think now it feels like that nostalgia has been taken away and it’s been tainted.

“I just keep thinking about the people that were left behind.

“We all think that we have it hard because we loved his music, and he was a part of our childhood but it’s obviously no comparison to his family and what they must be feeling.

“You just hope they get a minute’s peace and privacy – which is something Liam never got.”