Godwin ObajeLiam Payne’s Final TV Appearance: One Direction Star Reflects on Band’s Unusual Beginnings in Netflix’s Building the Band
Liam Payne’s final television appearance, filmed before his untimely death in October 2024, will be seen by audiences next month in Netflix’s new reality competition series Building the Band. The streaming platform unveiled the trailer today, revealing Payne in a mentoring role as he helped aspiring artists navigate the pressures of forming a successful music group.
Payne appears alongside fellow judges Kelly Rowland and Nicole Scherzinger, with AJ McLean hosting the competition. The format, a striking blend of The X Factor and Love Is Blind, brings together 50 singers who must form bands without seeing each other—relying solely on vocal chemistry to build a connection.
In scenes now laden with emotional weight, Payne offers candid insights into his own journey in the music industry. Speaking to one group, he says bluntly: “You got a lot of work to do vocally. I need to feel that connection between you guys.”
He goes on to reflect on the origins of One Direction, the chart-topping band that catapulted him to global stardom in 2010: “To have these bands put together is not normal, we were put together that way.”
Formed on the UK version of The X Factor, One Direction—consisting of Payne, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson—quickly became a global phenomenon. The group released five studio albums between 2011 and 2015 before entering an indefinite hiatus the following year. While all five pursued solo careers, an official reunion never materialised before Payne’s death, which occurred after a fall from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires. He was 31.
Building the Band marks a poignant full-circle moment, with Payne returning to the kind of format that launched his own career. The trailer also shows Scherzinger warning contestants, “If everybody’s fighting to be heard, then no one’s gonna shine,” while Rowland encourages a standout group: “When y’all were blending, y’all were blending … We might be looking at the winner right here.”
The series launches on 9 July with four initial episodes, followed by new episodes released weekly on Wednesdays.
In the wake of Payne’s death, the remaining One Direction members released a joint statement: “We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing. In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say. But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly.”
They continued: “The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever. For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends and the fans who loved him alongside us. We will miss him terribly. We love you Liam.”
Following his funeral in Amersham, England, in November 2024, all four former bandmates reunited in private. A source told Us Weekly at the time: “[Liam’s death] was a wake-up call for all of them… They’re all still mourning but are checking in on each other and feel closer than they have in years. It brought them back together.”
With Building the Band, Payne’s legacy is set to inspire a new generation of performers—just as his own story once began, in a boyband built on talent, timing, and the extraordinary.
Godwin Obaje
