Here's How Liam Payne's ‘Heartbroken' Family Really Felt About Netflix Using Him to Promote Their New Show After His Untimely Death
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.
More from StyleCaster
The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Just Got a 'Life-Changing' Salary Upgrade After They Were Being Paid as Much as Fast Food Workers
The OceanGate Victims' Eerie Last Words Speak Volumes of Their Mindset Before the Vessel's Tragic ImplosionThe '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.
Best of StyleCaster
The 26 Best Romantic Comedies to Watch if You Want to Know What Love Feels Like
These 'Bachelor' Secrets & Rules Prove What Happens Behind the Scenes Is So Much Juicier
BTS's 7 Members Were Discovered in the Most Unconventional Ways
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
10 minutes ago
- Yahoo
TV presenter, who studied at Oxford college, in court after rape charges emerge
TV presenter Jay Blades, who studied upholstery in Oxford, has appeared in court on a controlling or coercive behaviour charge after it emerged he has been separately accused of two counts of rape. West Mercia Police said the 55-year-old is due to appear at Telford Magistrates' Court on August 13 on the rape charges. On Tuesday, Blades, who fronted primetime BBC show The Repair Shop, appeared at Worcester Crown Court via video link for a preliminary hearing in relation to the controlling or coercive behaviour charge. Blades, who wore animal-print spectacles, a grey suit and a blue polka-dot tie, spoke only to confirm his name during a short hearing. READ MORE: Oxford pet crow taken away from owner by police officers The TV star previously denied engaging in controlling or coercive behaviour towards his estranged wife Lisa-Marie Zbozen between January 1 2023 and September 12 last year. He faces trial at a later date. In a statement on Tuesday, police also confirmed separate charges of rape. The force said: 'Jason Blades, 55, of Claverley in Shropshire, has been charged with two counts of rape. 'He is due to appear at Telford Magistrates' Court on 13 August 2025.' Furniture restorer Blades found fame on restoration programme The Repair Shop, which he started presenting in 2017. He also presented the BBC's Money For Nothing until 2020, and appeared on Celebrity Masterchef and Celebrity Bake Off as well as Comic Relief. He studied upholstery at the Rycotewood Furniture Centre at City of Oxford College and volunteered at a homeless hostel.
Yahoo
10 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Abandoned Baby Was Initially Mistaken for a Doll. Then the Man Who Found Him Was Asked to Adopt: ‘One Surprise After Another'
"We were in no position to start a family or have a baby enter our lives at all, nor were we thinking about it," says Pete Mercurio — then fate intervenedNEED TO KNOW In 2000, social worker Danny Stewart made headlines when he found an abandoned infant at a New York City subway station Stewart and his then-boyfriend, Pete Mercurio, became the boy's foster parents and eventually adopted him A new animated short film, 18 Months, tells a dramatized version of their storyThere's no wrong way to build a family. That's the message Danny Stewart and his husband, Pete Mercurio, are hoping to spread with a new film 18 Months, inspired by the couple's true story of unexpectedly becoming parents after Stewart found an abandoned baby in a New York City subway station 25 years ago. The six-minute stop-motion animated short from the nonprofit Second Nurture, created by Klick Health and animated by Zombie Studio, with music by Jamute, aims to ignite broader conversations around adoption and lessen stigma. It's also put Stewart, Mercurio and their son back in the spotlight as they share an update on their headline-making story. Back in August 2000, the last thing on the couple's minds was raising a child. 'Not a whiff of it,' Mercurio, 57, tells PEOPLE. 'It was one surprise after another in terms of how it all played out.' Around 8 p.m on Aug. 28, 2000, Stewart, a social worker, was on his way to meet his boyfriend, a writer and graphic designer, for dinner. They'd been together for three years and lived in a tiny one-bedroom apartment with a partition splitting the living room to provide a sleep space for their then-roommate. 'We had no resources. We were in debt,' Mercurio says. 'We were in no position to start a family or have a baby enter our lives at all, nor were we thinking about it.' But that night, Stewart saw a box with what looked like a doll in it on the 14th Street subway platform — and was shocked when he looked closer and saw movement. He quickly notified authorities and the infant was swept away. Stewart was celebrated as a hero — and interviewed by the likes of CNN and the BBC — before interest in the story initially subsided. That, thought Stewart, now 59, was that. A shiny moment in the news and then back to his regular life. Then things took a wild turn when Stewart was asked to provide testimony at a hearing to sever the baby boy's biological parental rights so that the child, then called "Daniel Ace Doe," could be placed in a foster home. (The birth parents never came forward; a DNA test many years later revealed he was Pacific Islander.) Little baby Doe seemed destined for a life in the foster care system and perhaps adoption down the line until a judge stepped in. At a certain point during the hearing, the judge asked Stewart to stay until the end of the proceedings. That's when she asked an unexpected question: Would he be interested in adopting the baby? He stammered out a yes. It was, says Mercurio, 'The question that changed our lives forever.' The judge got the couple into a short-lived pilot program that allowed them to quickly become foster parents and eventually adopt the boy, whom they named Kevin Stewart-Mercurio. While it was initially a challenge for Mercurio and Stewart, they quickly adapted: Their roommate moved out, and Kevin moved in. A same-sex couple raising a child of a different race, they were generally accepted and supported by their New York City community, they say — though Mercurio admits he was waiting for some sort of pushback or challenge to their adoption during what became a two-year process. 'They're going to see two men on the forms and we're going to get delayed,' Mercurio says of his fears back then. 'None of that happened because the judge was so in charge of everything and wanted this to happen.' Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Kevin proved to be a motivated and talented boy who excelled academically and socially. The family was open about his origin story, and they shared it with his classmates. 'We wanted to be honest with him,' Stewart says. 'It was always about love and being found.' Mercurio put together a short picture book when Kevin was about 5 as a way to tell the story of how their family came to be, and the dads would read it to Kevin every night. 'Is this about me?' he asked one night. When Mercurio told him it was, Kevin wanted him to read it again. The next time it was his turn at show-and-tell, he brought the book and shared it with his classmates. 'He owned the story after that, which was really comforting for us that it wasn't a traumatic thing for him,' Mercurio says. He says the couple only encountered one piece of hate mail about them being gay and questioning how they could become a real family. But he knows this sort of discrimination has dogged other gay couples. Naturally, as Kevin grew older, he began to ask questions about his background. 'I think in his middle years, just past elementary school as he was entering his teen years, where he seemed to be like 'Who am I?' 'What is my identity?' ' Mercurio says. Their family was also not as well-off as some others in their neighborhood. 'I just got emotional because I remember feeling at the time that if Kevin had been adopted by one of these families, he could have had all that,' Mercurio says. 'But I don't feel that way now.' Stewart says he believes his son struggled a bit with a sense of being alone. 'I think it came to a head in college when he said there were differences not only racially, but also financially and class-wise,' Stewart says. 'As a parent, I wished we could have prepared him for the racial discrimination he felt when he went off to college.' Kevin would tell them how sometimes when he sat down on the bus, people wouldn't sit next to him. Or when he went to school in Philadelphia and would take the train home to New York City — if he was late, he avoided running to the train while wearing his hoodie and carrying his backpack. 'That was just heartbreaking stuff we did not prepare him for,' Mercurio says. Still, Kevin has thrived. In 2022, he graduated from Swarthmore College, outside of Philadelphia, where he double majored in computer science and mathematics. Last year he moved to Pittsburgh and works as a junior software developer at a creative agency. The couple says he supports their projects, like with 18 months, but prefers to stay private with his life. Looking back at their family's journey, Stewart says, 'Everything lined up just so perfectly." Call it serendipity, fate or "some higher power that just was leading things to happen in this particular way," he says. "It just gives me chills." Read the original article on People Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
10 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Smithfield's 'We Speak Pork' Campaign Features Pork So Good It Speaks for Itself
Creative platform designed to drive awareness among Gen Z and Millennials, expand Smithfield's leadership in packaged meats segment Smithfield - We Speak Pork Smithfield - We Speak Pork Smithfield - We Speak Pork Smithfield - We Speak Pork SMITHFIELD, Va., Aug. 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Smithfield® has launched a new national advertising campaign, 'We Speak Pork,' showcasing pork so good it speaks for itself. The video campaign features Emmy Award-winning writer, actor and comedian Ben Schwartz as the voice of Smithfield's portfolio of products, including bacon, Prime Fresh lunch meat, smoked hams and pre-marinated pork tenderloins. Schwartz's credits include NBC's 'Parks and Recreation,' 'House of Lies,' the 'Sonic the Hedgehog' movie series, 'The Afterparty,' and the 'Ben Schwartz and Friends Tour,' which sold out Radio City Music Hall and the Sydney Opera House. 'This new creative campaign is an extension of Smithfield Foods' continuing strategy to grow our leadership position in the value-added packaged meats segment,' said Steve France, president of packaged meats for Smithfield Foods. 'We Speak Pork puts our delicious Smithfield products front and center – in their own voice – to remind consumers of the unmatched flavor and quality of Smithfield's expertly crafted pork products. It's an entertaining way to appeal to new audiences and let them see the fun side of the Smithfield brand.' 'I am proud to finally answer the question that has tormented mankind for years: "If Smithfield pork could talk, what would it sound like?" The answer is me. And in a way, I feel like we always knew. I am excited to work with Smithfield and begin my pork product journey as the voice of their "We Speak Pork" campaign,' said Schwartz. Designed to drive awareness among Gen Zs and Millennials, the campaign provides a relevant and authentic voice for the Smithfield brand to drive curiosity and consideration. The creative platform grabs attention with bold product visuals to showcase the versatility and convenience of Smithfield's products, which allow consumers to explore bold flavors for everyday use. Smithfield holds the #1 market position in uncooked bacon and smoked ham in the U.S., and top-ten positions in uncooked breakfast sausage and packaged lunch meat nationwide. The new 'We Speak Pork' ads, directed by David Ma and created by The Escape Pod Chicago, are now on digital channels including streaming platforms, and are also available on the Smithfield brand's YouTube channel. To see the complete line of Smithfield products, recipes, inspiration tips and more, please visit The Smithfield brand leads Smithfield Foods' portfolio of iconic brands including Eckrich, Farmland and Nathan's Famous, among many others. Smithfield Foods' brands hold the #2 overall U.S. market position for branded packaged meats, with top-three share in 15 of the 25 packaged meats categories in which they compete. About SmithfieldSmithfield® isn't only a leading provider of high-quality pork products. We're also a leading provider of the most important part of any meal: premium, high-quality meat. And we take our meat duties seriously. After all, the rest of the meal is just a side dish. Smithfield products were first introduced in 1936 in Smithfield, Virginia, by people who lived for the love of meat. Today, the Smithfield brand stands for craftsmanship, authenticity and pure passion as we continue to give meat lovers across the country the deliciousness they crave: our classic bacon, slow-smoked holiday hams, hand-trimmed ribs, marinated fresh pork, smoked meats, and even more meaty magic. All Smithfield products not only meet our customers' high flavor standards but also meet the highest quality and safety standards in the industry. All while being produced right here in the USA. To learn more about the Smithfield portfolio of products, please visit and connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and X (formally known as Twitter). Smithfield® is a brand of Smithfield Foods, Inc. About Ben SchwartzBen Schwartz is an Emmy Award-winning writer, actor and comedian. His credits include NBC's 'Parks and Recreation,' 'House of Lies,' the 'Sonic the Hedgehog' movie series, 'The Afterparty,' and the 'Ben Schwartz and Friends Tour,' which sold out Radio City Music Hall and the Sydney Opera House. Find out more about Ben at About Smithfield Foods Smithfield Foods (Nasdaq: SFD) is an American food company with a leading position in packaged meats and fresh pork products. With a diverse brand portfolio and strong relationships with U.S. farmers and customers, we responsibly meet demand for quality protein around the world. Contact:Ray AtkinsonSmithfield Foods, Inc.(757) 576-1383ratkinson@ Photos accompanying this announcement are available at: A video accompanying this announcement is available at
