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Sharon Osbourne has slammed the music industry for “letting down” Liam Payne, who died aged 31.
Friends and millions of fans of the One Direction star have already paid their respects to the singer, who fell from a third-floor hotel balcony, police said. He is survived by his parents, two older sisters, and a 7-year-old son, Bear.
Payne’s family said in a statement: Liam will forever live in our hearts and we will never forget his kind, funny and brave soul. We are supporting each other as much as we can as a family and are asking for privacy and space during this terrible time. ”
Several of Payne’s X Factor contestants have referenced the pressures of sudden fame in their tributes to Payne, but Osbourne, a former judge on the One Direction show, has now stepped in to declare: did. ”
Osbourne, who said she was “heartbroken” by the news of Payne’s death, was a judge on the original series of The X Factor from 2004 to 2007 before Payne was hired by Simon Cowell to join One Direction. As a result, he was removed from the program. Guest judge: Nicole Scherzinger. She returned for one series in 2013.
Follow Liam Payne for live updates and tributes following his death here.
She writes: “Liam, I’m heartbroken. We all let you down. Where was this industry when you needed them? When you entered one of the toughest industries in the world, you… You were just a kid. Who was in your corner? Rest in peace, my friend.”
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Sharon Osbourne slams music industry for ‘letting Liam Payne down’ (ITV)
Although Osbourne did not confuse his comments with Payne’s participation in the ITV reality show, he was vocal about his negative opinions of the series.
She said: “I’ve met some great people. Louis (Walsh) is still like my little brother. Nicole (Scherzinger) and Gary Barlow are great people.” But as far as talent shows go, I’ve been away for a while. It was kind of like the Wild West, even though we were far away from it.
“You didn’t really understand how important it was and how it affected people’s lives. As far as I’m concerned, everything needs to change.”
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Sharon Osbourne pays tribute to Liam Payne (Instagram)
She went on to say, “You’re not only giving career opportunities to a lot of people, but you’re also potentially damaging a lot of people. You have to be very, very careful. You’re not dealing with people’s lives. This is not something to be laughed at, as we are in charge of their future.
“I don’t want to take on that kind of responsibility again. The damage is spreading and I don’t want to be a part of it. I don’t regret it, but I learned a lot about the responsibility of being on a show like this, and it was a great education. It became.”