Tributes have poured in for the former One Direction star after he died in a fall from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires

Payne was cut during the judges’ houses stage and returned to the show in 2010, when he was grouped with Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik to form the boy band.

The musician passed away after falling from a hotel balcony in the Palermo neighbourhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Wednesday, 16 October, police said.

Singer, who rose to fame as a member of boyband One Direction, died aged 31 after falling from a hotel in Buenos Aires

The Irish singer, who rose to fame along with Payne and their bandmates Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik after competing on The X Factor in 2010, posted the statement to Instagram along with a sweet photo of them together.

“I’m absolutely devastated about the passing of my amazing friend, Liam,” he wrote. “It just doesn’t feel real.

“Liam had an energy for life and a passion for work that was infectious. He was the brightest in every room and made everyone feel happy and secure.”

Here’s Robbie Williams’ statement in full:

How to make sense of the Liam Payne tragedy?

Obviously, my first feelings towards his passing were like everyone else. Shock, sadness and confusion. And to be honest as I write these words that’s where I still am.

I met the boys on The X Factor and ‘’mentored’’ them. I use the word mentored in inverted brackets cos I hardly did anything to be honest. I just hung out with them. They were all cheeky and lovely. I enjoyed the light hearted piss takery and thought about all the times I was that cheeky pisstaker with the Popstars that had gone before me when I was in Take That.

Our paths have crossed ever since that day and I’m fond of them all. Liam’s trials and tribulations were very similar to mine, so it made sense to reach out and offer what I could. So I did. I guess in these moments it’s worth repeating –

WE DON’T KNOW WHATS GOING ON IN PEOPLE’S LIVES.

WHAT PAIN THEY’RE GOING THROUGH AND WHAT MAKES THEM BEHAVE IN THE WAY THAT THEY BEHAVE.

BEFORE WE REACH TO JUDGEMENT, A BIT OF SLACK NEEDS TO BE GIVEN.

BEFORE YOU TYPE ANYTHING ON THE INTERNET, HAVE A THINK ‘’DO I REALLY NEED TO PUBLISH THIS?’’, BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT YOU’RE DOING. YOU’RE PUBLISHING YOUR THOUGHTS FOR ANYBODY TO READ. EVEN IF YOU DON’T REALLY THINK THAT CELEBRITIES OR THEIR FAMILIES EXIST. THEY FUCKING DO. SKIN AND BONE AND IMMENSELY SENSITIVE.

I still had my demons at 31. I relapsed. I was in pain. I was in pain because I relapsed.I relapsed because of a multitude of painful reasons. I remember Heath Ledger passing and thinking ‘’I’m next’’. By the grace of god and/or dumb luck I’m still here.

The internet will unfortunately carry on being the internet. The media will unfortunately carry on being the media and fame will carry on being fame.

As individuals though we have the power to change ourselves. We can be kinder. We can be more empathic. We can at least try to be more compassionate towards ourselves, our family, our friends, strangers in life and strangers on the internet.

Even famous strangers need your compassion.

What a Handsome Talented boy. What a tragic painful loss for his friends, family, fans and by the looks of the energy this moment has created – The World.

The musician, 33, sang “For You” — the track she collaborated with Payne on in 2018 — in front of a black and white image of the pair during her show in Osaka, Japan.

Ora struggled through the song, asking the audience to sing for her as she sat on a riser with her head in her hands.

She later walked off stage with her arms held around her.