Liam Payne death: Simon Cowell cancels BGT auditions in Blackpool after One Direction star's death

The singer fell to his death from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina on Wednesday night (October 16).

The decision to delay filming BGT auditions in Blackpool was reportedly made at the last minute by judge Simon Cowell, who was close friends with the 31-year-old from their time together on Cowell’s other talent show, The X Factor.

Applause Store, the company responsible for audience tickets, confirmed the postponement in an Instagram post this morning. Those due to attend the show were also notified of the cancellation via text message and email.

A spokesperson said: "Due to the tragic passing of Liam Payne, BGT has decided to postpone today's auditions in Blackpool. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause."

The show’s producer, Freemantle UK, added: "Due to the tragic passing of Liam Payne, we have decided to postpone the Britain’s Got Talent auditions. Our thoughts are with Liam’s friends, family and all who loved him.”

The rescheduled date for the Blackpool auditions has yet to be confirmed.

Cowell and fellow judges Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon, and KSI, who is temporarily filling in for Bruno Tonioli - were set to film auditions in the resort today, just two days after production commenced on the new series.

According to police in Buenos Aires, police were initially responding to reports “of an aggressive man who may have been under the effects of drugs and alcohol”.

The hotel where Payne was staying has not released a statement, but reports indicate that Payne fell from a third-floor balcony, leading to his untimely death.

Liam Payne will ‘leave lasting legacy on the music industry’, says The X Factor

The X Factor has said Liam Payne will “leave a lasting legacy on the music industry” through his time in One Direction, following his death.

The singer rose to stardom at the age of 16 after joining the boy band on the ITV singing competition in 2010 alongside Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan, having returned to the show two years after his first audition.

Music stars and famous faces have been paying tribute to the 31-year-old after he died falling from the third-floor balcony of a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, local police said.

“We are heartbroken by the sad passing of Liam Payne,” The X Factor’s official account on X, formerly Twitter, wrote alongside a photo of the star.

“He was immensely talented and, as part of One Direction, Liam will leave a lasting legacy on the music industry and fans around the world.

“Our thoughts are with his friends, family and all who loved him.”

Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood remembered performing alongside Payne and One Direction for a performance of the boy band’s track Where Do Broken Hearts Go on The X Factor in 2014.

“I am shocked and saddened to hear of the death of Liam Payne. It was a pleasure to work with him on our X Factor performance,” Wood wrote as he paid tribute on Instagram.

“God bless Liam, thinking of all his loved ones. He will be dearly missed.”

Former Love Island host Laura Whitmore described the singer as “always so lovely and giving of his time” when she had met him over the years.

She recalled interviewing him at the Brit Awards one year when she could she see he was “very loved up with someone backstage”.

“Sometimes we forget people in the public eye are real people with real feelings,” she added.

“He was a pop star but more importantly someone’s son, father – loved by so many who are left heartbroken. My thoughts with his loved ones. I can’t believe it, but also I can. Which is devastating.”

BBC Radio 1 presenter Greg James opened his breakfast show by telling listeners the news had been “unbearably sad” to wake up to and that he would be processing it with them.

He also told fans: “It might be the first time someone you’ve idolised has died and that’s a really strange thing to get your head around. So go easy on yourself today because it’s a shock, it’s destabilising.

“Even though you may not have not known Liam Payne personally we do have these para-social relationships where we do know these people to a certain extent and they are part of our lives and when they’re gone that’s weird to deal with.”

Paying a personal tribute to Payne, James said he had interviewed Payne only a few times but when he did he thought he was “so fun”, “funny” and “sweet”, before playing One Direction hit single What Makes You Beautiful.

Styles’ mother, Anne Twist, posted a broken-hearted emoji on Instagram, captioning it: “Just a boy.”

TV presenter Dermot O’Leary, who hosted The X Factor during both of Payne’s appearances, shared a photograph of the two on stage, captioning the Instagram post: “The worst news”.

“I remember him as a 14-year-old turning up to audition on The X Factor, and blowing us away singing Sinatra. He just loved to sing.

“He was always a joy, had time for everyone, polite, grateful, and was always humble.”

Singer Olly Murs, who starred on The X Factor a year before One Direction, said on Instagram that he was “lost for words”, describing Payne’s death as “devastating”.

“We always had a good laugh when we saw each other, sometimes the catch-ups were only short and sweet but when we did it was mostly about how annoyingly good his hair always looked, or our love for Becks, the old XF (X Factor) days and the tour we shared together,” Murs wrote beside a picture of the two.

“Liam shared the same passions as me, the same dreams so to see his life now end so young hits hard, I’m truly gutted and devastated for his family and of course his son Bear losing a dad.”