Simon Cowell has paid his tributes to the singer Liam Payne following his death on 16 October in Buenos Aires.
Sharing a post on his Instagram account, Cowell said, “Liam, I am truly devastated. Heartbroken. And I feel empty.”
Simon has played a major role in the rise of One Direction.
Payne rose to fame in 2008 when at the age of 14, he auditioned for The X Factor and was told by Simon to try two years later.
In 2010, Payne returned to perform solo but was offered to form a group alongside Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson.
Cowell added, “I can see the effect you had on so many people. Because you left us too soon.”