Niall Horan recalls “final goodbye” with “brother” Liam Payne days before death

Niall Horan has recalled his “final goodbye” to Liam Payne, following news of his tragic death earlier this week.

The soloist and former One Direction member died on Wednesday (October 16), following a fatal fall from a third-floor balcony at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

According to a report by The Guardian, the Argentine prosecutor’s office revealed that the 31-year-old’s cause of death was due to multiple traumas and internal and external bleeding.

Payne rose to fame as part of One Direction during The X Factor‘s 2010 series, after initially auditioning two years earlier at the age of 14.

Yesterday (October 17) saw One Direction’s surviving members – Horan, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Harry Styles – share a joint statement, in which they expressed their devastation and said that they would need time “to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly.”

Since then, the surviving members have gone on to share their own respective, touching tributes to the singer.

“I’m absolutely devastated about the passing of my amazing friend, Liam. It just doesn’t feel real,” Horan said in his post, sharing a photo of them both during One Direction’s early days. “Liam had an energy for life and a passion for work that was infectious. He was the brightest in every room and always made everyone feel happy and secure.

“All the laughs we had over the years, sometimes about the simplest of things, keep coming to mind through the sadness. We got to live out our wildest dreams together and I will cherish every moment we had forever. The bond and friendship we had doesn’t happen often in a lifetime.”

He continued, recalling how he saw his former bandmate shortly before his death: “I feel so fortunate that I got to see him recently. I sadly didn’t know that after saying goodbye and hugging him that evening, I would be saying goodbye forever. It’s heartbreaking.”

He ended the statement by sharing his “love and condolences” to Payne’s family and his son, Bear.

Following news of his death, Payne’s family also issued a statement, saying: “We are heartbroken. Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul. We are supporting each other the best we can as a family and ask for privacy and space at this awful time.”

Tributes have come in from across the entertainment world too, and fellow X Factor stars have called for more support for those catapulted to fame on talent shows.

Katie Waissel, who competed alongside One Direction on the 2010 season, urged for more “care and support for young artists”, while Rebecca Ferguson, who finished in second place on the same season, paid tribute to Payne and spoke out against the “exploitation and profiteering of young stars.”

Earlier this morning (October 18), it was reported that Sharon Osbourne – who was formerly a judge on the show – accused the music industry of “letting down” Liam Payne following his death.