Simon Cowell was 'in pieces' after the death of Liam Payne, telling a new Daily Mail podcast he took weeks away from filming a new Netflix documentary to process the tragedy.
Speaking to Tales From the Celebrity Trenches, the 66-year-old TV mogul recalled 'really, really struggling' following the former One Direction singer's death at just 31 years old.
When Payne died in Buenos Aires in October 2024, Cowell was in the middle of filming The Next Act, a new Netflix series documenting the mogul's latest search for the next great boyband, a project that echoed the X Factor auditions where he first discovered Payne as a teenager.
Cowell was working closely with the families of a new generation of hopefuls, navigating their fears about fame and its consequences when news of Payne's death broke.
Simon Cowell was 'in pieces' after the death of Liam Payne, telling a new Daily Mail podcast he took weeks away from filming a new Netflix documentary to process the tragedy
Cowell was working closely with the families of a new generation of hopefuls, navigating their fears about fame and its consequences when news of Payne's death broke
'What do you do in a situation like that?', the mogul asked.
'It was so bad, I was in pieces. There were so many things going on in my head.
'I literally just disappeared somewhere for a week to think everything through because I knew I was really, really struggling.'
Payne fell to his death from the third floor balcony of a hotel, with his autopsy revealing traces of alcohol, cocaine and a prescribed antidepressant in his system.
Host Jamie East noted that unlike the early days of X Factor, debates surrounding the negative effects of celebrity on mental health are now more prevalent than ever, suggesting record labels face greater pressure to protect young artists from the pitfalls of fame.
Cowell responded that despite the world going 'crazy', with every young person now wanting to be famous, his responsibility remained the same, preparing his artists for the realities of success.
He said: 'My responsibility is to go: Look, if it works and you're successful, that's a good thing.
'However, as your life changes there are going to be times when it's really stressful, really hard.
'I will help you prepare for that and be there if you need me.'
Elsewhere in the podcast, Cowell revealed One Direction took him just 25 minutes to assemble, with the mogul admitting little thought actually went into forming one of the most successful boybands of all time.
'It was so bad, I was in pieces. There were so many things going on in my head', Cowell said
Elsewhere in the podcast, Cowell revealed One Direction took him just 25 minutes to assemble
The band, all aged between 16 and 18, were formed on X Factor in 2010 and went on to sell over 70 million records worldwide.
'They all had good auditions,' Cowell began.
'Then, in the middle rounds, certain people for whatever reason, mess up. They didn't do enough to make it as solo artists.
'However, when I saw the boys all on stage, there was a moment thinking: "We have got to do something with them."
'It took about 25 minutes, being honest with you, to put them all together. It was literally as quick as that.
'Then, I just let them do whatever they wanted. A few weeks later, I saw them walk around a corner together and they looked amazing.'
Listen to the full interview with Simon Cowell by searching for Tales From the Celebrity Trenches, on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.