Here’s How Liam Payne’s ‘Heartbroken’ Family Really Felt About Netflix Using Him to Promote Their New Show After His Untimely Death
Building the Band was Liam Payne‘s last project before his untimely death. The Netflix reality show made a touching tribute to the One Direction member when it first premiered.
Liam Payne serves as a guest judge on Building the Band during the latter episodes. The main judge of the show is Pussycat Dolls frontwoman Nicole Scherzinger, and joining Payne as a guest judge is Kelly Rowland of Destiny’s Child. The Backstreet Boys’ AJ McLean serves as a host. The premise revolves around a singing competition, but the twist is that the group has to rely on chemistry and talent rather than looks. The series premiered on July 9, 2025, which was 10 months after Liam Payne’s death.
The “Strip That Down” singer’s family reviewed footage of Payne’s involvement, and a press release states that they’re “supportive of his inclusion.” “Liam meant and means so much to all of us, and we were very obviously sensitive to the whole process,” Scherzinger shared.
Did Liam Payne die while filming Building the Band?
Building the Band was filmed in the summer of 2024. Liam Payne died on October 16, 2024, just months after the project wrapped.
The series starts off with a tribute to Liam Payne. AJ McLean opens the inaugural episode with a touching speech, “When we came together to film Building the Band, we never imagined we’d soon be saying goodbye to our friend, Liam Payne. Liam is a guest judge in later episodes, and through his presence, we see his deep love for music and his unwavering commitment to helping others find their voice.”
A montage of Liam’s photos and videos is then shown with McLean concluding, “It’s through that spirit that we dedicate this series to Liam and his family.”
McLean told Rolling Stone that Payne’s energy was jubilant on set, and that the two connected on being sober. “He and I immediately connected on not only a music level but a human level,” the Backstreet Boys member said. “Like we both were living a parallel life. There was a lot of funny boy-band jabs that we would take at each other. He really had a quick wit to him — that nice, dry, British humor.”
He also told Today that he had listened to some of Payne’s unreleased recordings before he passed. “He sent me an unreleased body of work to get my opinion on it — and I never put that out there,” he recalled
“I thought that was really sweet that he would entrust someone that he’s still learning about to give their opinion,” McLean continued. “I thought it was a great body of work. And I hope that the world and that the fans get to hear it somewhere down the road. It’s beautiful, beautiful music.”
When a trailer dropped for the series, Liam Payne’s sister took to her Instagram stories to react. “Im heartbroken he never got to see how great he is in this show,” Ruth Gibbins wrote at the time. “He knew he had done a good job, we all told him this when we were at filming, but watching it back, wow!”
How did Liam Payne die?
Liam Payne died after falling off a third-floor story hotel room balcony at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina on October 16, 2024. Alberto Crescenti, Buenos Aires emergency services chief, told La Nación that Liam Payne suffered “serious injuries” that were untreatable once responders arrived at the scene.
A toxicology report said that he had cocaine, alcohol and a prescription antidepressant in his system when he died, according to a statement from the local prosecutor’s office.
