liam payne
Netflix are reportedly moving ahead with their Building the Band reality series following the recent passing of judge Liam Payne.
News of Building the Band first broke in August 2024, with Netflix revealing they had recruited Payne as a judge for the show alongside the Pussycat Dolls’ Nicole Scherzinger and Destiny’s Child’s Kelly Rowland. The Backstreet Boys’ AJ McLean was also confirmed to host.
Planned to film over the summer, the series’ novel concept revolves around bringing together a number of talented singers and tasking them with crafting their own bands without ever seeing each other. Through the use of isolated booths, the singers would then have to select their bandmates based upon musical compatibility, connection, chemistry and merit.
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“And when the bands finally do meet, how will looks, choreography, and style come into play?” asked a press release. “Expect plenty of drama, next-level artistry, and unforgettable performances.”
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Following the untimely passing of Payne in October 2024, it was confirmed the series’ filming had wrapped in the U.K. earlier in August, though its future appeared unclear.
Now, Netflix have reported they will be moving ahead with the series as planned, The Hollywood Reporter confirms.
Though the streaming platform stated they never had announced plans to shelve the show, their issue instead revolved around how prominently Payne would feature in the aftermath of his passing.
Netflix reportedly hosted a “special presentation” regarding the series in Los Angeles on Wednesday (Jan. 29), during which Netflix Vice President of Nonfiction Series and Sports Brandon Riegg explained that the platform had been involved in conversations with Payne’s family about how to handle his role in the show.
Currently, no premiere date for the series has been announced, though Riegg reportedly claimed there would be more to say about the matter in the future.
Payne passed away in Argentina on Oct. 16 following a fall from a hotel balcony. Earlier this month, a U.K. inquest into Payne’s cause of death returned a finding of “polytrauma”, which refers to multiple traumatic injuries to a person’s body and organs.
To date, five people have been charged in Payne’s death, including the January arrest of Braian Piaz, one of two men accused of supplying drugs to the singer. The others charged to date include CasaSur Palermo Hotel manager Gilda Martin, receptionist Esteban Grassi and Payne’s friend Roger Nores, all of whom are facing manslaughter charges; hotel employee Ezequiel Pereyra has also been charged with supplying drugs to the singer.
Looks like Liam Payne is a Swiftie!
The former One Direction star went up against Love Island alum Tommy Fury in a Soccer Aid game featuring Payne humming a song and Fury having to guess what it is. The charitable soccer organization shared a clip from the game on Twitter, in which the “Strip That Down” singer is seen humming along to Taylor Swift‘s Red hit, “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.”
Fury guesses the track almost immediately, playfully admitting, “I shouldn’t know these songs.”
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Payne then replied, “We’re getting a little secret look into you playlist, aren’t we?” After it was posted, the crooner retweeted the video, adding a hand heart emoji.
The pair are set to face off on the pitch at Soccer Aid 2023 on June 11. The UNICEF event advertises itself as “the world’s biggest charity football match,” and raises money for children in need.
In other Payne news, the singer supported his One Direction bandmate Louis Tomlinson last month at the premiere of the latter’s new documentary All of Those Voices.
“Seeing the world through your eyes last night was the most beautiful thing to experience,” he captioned an Instagram post from the event. “My neck hurts from how much Im looking up to you right now you were already my friend and brother but getting to look through that window into your world and mind I just extends that respect I have for you.”
Louis Tomlinson introduced a new side of him to the world at Thursday’s (March 16) London premiere of his upcoming documentary, All of Those Voices, and his One Direction bandmate Liam Payne was there on the red carpet to support.
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In videos shared by fans to Twitter, Payne is seen taking photos and waving to fans as he walks into the premiere, shortly after Tomlinson himself also made his appearance.
The Charlie Lightening-directed All of Those Voices, out in theaters on March 22, will delve into Tomlinson’s life and musical journey, complete with never-before-seen home video footage and behind-the-scenes access to the star’s 2022 world tour.
In a previously released first look, Tomlinson discusses his days in 1D and how he grew to be the member with the most songwriting credits. ““All of a sudden, I felt in control again. The first two and a half years, I just felt like I wasn’t in control of myself or certainly had an influence on the band,” he said of writing songs while in the group. “When I think about how proud I am of One Direction, I think of us as a collective. When I think about what makes me most proud as me as an individual in that band, is definitely having the most writing credits. That makes me feel important to the band, and that’s all I ever wanted when I was a lad.”
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