Former One Direction singer Liam Payne has died after falling on a hotel balcony

Liam Payne, the former One Direction star, has died in Argentina aged 31 after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires, according to police.

In a statement, police said they discovered Payne’s body after a rescue team responded to an emergency call in the upscale neighborhood of Palermo.

Payne gained worldwide fame as part of the popular boy band formed in 2010 alongside Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Zayn Malik on the TV show “X Factor”.

Earlier this month, Payne attended his former One Direction bandmate Niall Horan’s concert in Argentina.

According to police in Buenos Aires, officers on scene initially responded to reports “of an aggressive male who may have been under the influence of drugs and alcohol.”

When they arrived at the hotel, officers were told that a loud noise had been heard in a courtyard. They soon discovered the body there. A police investigation was launched.

Alberto Crescenti, director of emergency services, told local media that Payne suffered “serious injuries” and that an autopsy would be carried out.

Mr. Crescenti declined to answer questions about the circumstances of Payne’s fall from the balcony.

The British Foreign Office confirmed it was in contact with Argentine authorities “regarding reporters reporting the death of a Briton.” No further information was provided.

Payne appeared to post on Snapchat just hours before the incident and said: “It’s a beautiful day here in Argentina.”

When news of his death broke, fans gathered outside the Buenos Aires hotel where the death occurred, prompting police to cordon off the entrance.

“I was in my living room and my sister told me that Liam had died,” a young fan named Violeta Antier told Reuters. “We couldn’t believe it. We came right here to confirm it was true.”

Ms Antier said she saw Payne at the Niall Horan concert just two weeks ago.

There were also numerous tributes online.

“I send love and condolences to his family.” [and] Love,” socialite Paris Hilton wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “RIP, my friend.”

On Instagram, host Dermot O’Leary said he remembered Payne fondly.

“I remember him when he showed up to audition for The X Factor as a 14 year old and blew us away singing Sinatra,” he captioned a photo of the couple.

“He was always a joy, had time for everyone, was kind, grateful and was always humble.”

Payne, who was born in Wolverhampton, UK, first tried for fame when he auditioned for ITV talent show The X Factor in 2008 – but judge Simon Cowell told him to “come back in two years”.

He did, impressed the judges even more in 2010, and was paired with four other solo contestants at boot camp, and One Direction was born.

The group had four UK number one albums and four number one singles and topped charts worldwide before announcing a hiatus in 2015.

In 2017, Payne’s debut solo single “Strip That Down”, which reached number three on the Official UK Charts, and his collaboration with Rita Ora on the song “For You” – from the Fifty Shades Freed soundtrack – also achieved the same Top 10.

He began a relationship with Girls Aloud star Cheryl Tweedy in 2016 and they had a son, Bear, the following year. The couple separated in 2018.

Earlier this week, Maya Henry, another former partner, told the media through her lawyers that she had issued a cease and desist letter against the singer. She had posted on social media that she had contacted him repeatedly. Liam did not respond to the allegations.