Niall Horan has reflected on his “happy” final moments with Liam Payne before his tragic death, at the age of 31. The One Direction star died in 2024 after falling from a hotel balcony while travelling in Buenos Aires.
Tributes immediately poured in online with his former bandmates, including Zayn Malik, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson, sharing their condolences on social media.
Nearly two years on from his loss, the Slow Hands singer has opened up about the final time he saw his close friend – during his tour stop in Argentina just weeks before his death- and why he’s “glad” of the memory.
View 4 ImagesNiall and Liam came to fame in One Direction alongside Harry Styles, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson
“I’m glad of that, it means my last memory of him was happy,” the 32-year-old said in a new interview. “When I think of Liam’s passing, there is sadness, but it also makes me laugh and smirk because of the memories we had. I’ll go to places and think of something stupid in a hotel or something random that makes me laugh.
“It still feels surreal. On day one I was, like, ‘Nah, it didn’t happen’. Our friendship was a bond that was there for ever even if we hadn’t seen each other for a while and it’s wild that one day, like the flick of a switch, he’s gone.”
In the candid chat with the Sunday Times, Niall shared that he still speaks to Liam’s family to reminisce over their “shared experiences” of superstardom together.
Fans were left reeling following the news of the Strip That Down singer’s death in 2024. His former bandmates quickly came together to say their goodbyes at a private funeral shortly after.
4View 4 ImagesNiall and Liam shared a close bond
4View 4 ImagesLiam died in 2024(Image: Getty Images for ABA)
In the wake of their loss, Niall has been determined to honour his fellow singer’s memory while on stage. Appearing on the And The Writer Is podcast with Ross Golan, he said: “It fires me up because I know that Liam loves being on stage.
“That would make me excited to get on tour and do it for the fans because I know that he loved it as much as I did.”
There is also a dedication to his late friend on his new album, Dinner Party – which is slated to be released on June 5. The track, End of an Era, was written with John Ryan and Julian Bunett, and includes poignant lyrics about their time together.
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“It feels like letting go of things we’re not supposed to. One breath and it’s over, end of an era,” one line reads. “We had it, pure magic, remember what it was like, time passes so fast and I couldn’t tell you goodbye.”
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