Liam Payne sings with audience in the finale episode of Building the Band

The finale of Building the Band turned emotional as it paid tribute to the late singer Liam Payne, who passed away just months after the show was filmed. Released on Wednesday, July 23, which marked 15 years of One Direction, the final episode featured Liam’s last TV appearance. He had served as a guest judge alongside Nicole Scherzinger and Kelly Rowland, helping to pick the winning band, who took home a $500,000 prize.

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In a touching moment during the episode, the screen faded to black with the words, “In loving memory of Liam Payne”, just before One Direction’s hit song ‘What Makes You Beautiful’ started playing on set. The crowd erupted in cheers and began singing along. Liam smiled widely, stood up, and encouraged the fans to sing louder. He even joined a group of them with a mic, hitting every note of his iconic ad-libs. As the song ended, Scherzinger said, “That was awesome!”

“That was so fun", Liam replied, high-fiving her. Watch the video below:


This was Liam’s last recorded appearance before his tragic death. Liam passed away on October 16 last year at the age of 31. He died after a fall from the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Following the news, his former bandmates, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, and Louis Tomlinson shared a touching statement, “We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing… The memories we shared will be treasured forever”.

The show had earlier acknowledged his passing in the premiere with a heartfelt message from host AJ McLean. “When we came together to film Building the Band, we never imagined we’d soon be saying goodbye to our friend, Liam Payne,” McLean said. “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”.


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