"My last memory of him was happy": Niall Horan remembers his One Direction bandmate Liam Payne

ANI
31 May 2026, 17:01 GMT+10

Los Angeles [US], May 31 (ANI): Singer Niall Horan has opened up about the death of his former One Direction bandmate Liam Payne, revealing that he was in immediate denial after hearing the news, reported Variety.

Horan shared that he was with Payne a few weeks before his death.

'I'm glad of that, it means my last memory of him was happy. It still feels surreal. On day one, I was, like, 'Nah, it didn't happen.' Our friendship was a bond that was there forever, even if we hadn't seen each other for a while, and it's wild that one day, like the flick of a switch, he's gone,' he said, as quoted by Variety.

Horan also spoke about how 'all our families' have remained in touch to work through the loss.

'When I think of Liam's passing, there is sadness, but it also makes me laugh and smirk because of the memories we had. I'll go to places and think of something stupid in a hotel or something random that makes me laugh. We always had good fun in Australia because we were able to get out and go to the beach. Liam wasn't too bad at surfing. I can barely swim,' he added.

On the work front, Niall Horan's upcoming solo album 'Dinner Party' is set to debut on June 2.

A tribute track to Liam Payne, it is titled 'End of an Era'.

Payne passed away in October 2024 after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina. (ANI)

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