DJ Joel Corry has spoken of how he first met Liam Payne just minutes after hearing of the One Direction star’s shocking death on Australian radio.
The former One Direction singer died instantly from multiple injuries, including a skull fracture, when he fell 45 feet from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires.
The 31-year-old star plunged from the third floor of the Casa Sur Hotel courtyard in the Argentine capital on Wednesday before medics confirmed his death.
Minutes before English producer Joel, 35, was due to appear on Kyle and Jackie O’s show on Thursday, news broke of the singer’s death, leaving Joel in shock.
“I just heard I’m in shock,” he told KIIS FM radio host Jackie O Henderson.
The Head and Heart hitmaker then opened up about his first meeting with Liam at the 2023 Soccer Aid charity football match.
“I played Soccer Aid with him, which is like a charity football match in Britain,” Joel revealed.
He added that he met the singer while they were playing on the same side, and remembered Liam as a “really nice guy” in a heartfelt tribute.
DJ Joel Corry has spoken out for the first time about meeting Liam Payne, just minutes after hearing of the One Direction star’s shocking death on Australian radio
English DJ Joel shares his shock at the singer’s death and talks about his first meeting with Liam when they both took part in Soccer Aid in 2023 (Liam is pictured during the match)
“We spent a few days together because he was playing with me, and it was the first time I ever met him,” he said.
‘He was so much fun on the trip, we had such a good time hanging out together. And he was a really nice guy.
Joel then said upon hearing of Liam’s death, “And this is why, when I just heard the news, I couldn’t believe it was breathtaking.” I thought, ‘Oh my God.’
Soccer Aid is an annual charity event that has raised more than £106 million in aid of UNICEF UK.
The event is an exhibition style football match between two teams, England and Soccer Aid World XI.
In 2023, Joel and Liam played in the England team alongside actors Asa Butterfield and Tom Hiddleston and long-distance runner Mo Farah.
Paying tribute to Liam, Joel went on to speak about the pressures in the music industry and how the tragedy had reinforced his own desire to be surrounded by ‘good people’ in his life.
“There’s a lot of pressure in the music industry,” he said.
Joel explained that he met the One Direction singer while they were playing on the same side, and remembered Liam as a ‘really nice guy’ in a sweet tribute
‘It’s a very, very tough industry and it can take quite a toll on you. I think that’s why it’s so important to have good people around you who can keep you grounded.
“And I know, Liam, there have been a lot of ups and downs along his journey, and this news is just shocking. And honestly, I send love to his family and everyone.”
It comes as:
Liam reportedly fell from a hotel balcony in Buenos, Argentina around 5 p.m. on Wednesday (ART).
A crowd of emotional fans have since gathered to pay their respects to the pop star outside the hotel.
Police in Buenos Aires said they initially responded to a 911 call “of an aggressive male who was possibly under the influence of drugs and alcohol.”
Officials heard a loud noise in the courtyard before discovering his body just after 5 p.m., the BBC reported.
According to TMZ, Liam had “behaved erratically in the hotel lobby and destroyed his laptop” before having to be “carried back to his room.”
Police had received a call from a hotel employee requesting urgent assistance for a drunken guest, according to audio material on the case obtained from Buenos Aires’ Ministry of Security.
The singer (pictured in March 2022) died immediately from multiple injuries, including a skull fracture, when he fell 45 feet from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires
A crowd of emotional fans have since gathered to pay their respects to the pop star outside the hotel
“If he’s conscious, he’ll destroy the whole room and we’ll have to send someone,” the worker said.
City ambulance spokesman Alberto Crescenti said Liam had fallen about 40 meters and suffered “serious injuries incompatible with life.”
He said: ‘At 5.04pm local time the alarm was raised due to a person lying on an internal patio of Casa Sur.
‘At 5.11pm an ambulance arrived and the man was pronounced dead.
‘Afterwards we found out that he had been a famous singer. Unfortunately, the injuries he sustained as a result of the fall proved fatal. There was no way to resuscitate him.”
Liam posted his last message on social media in May, posting a photo of One Direction with American filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, who died on May 23, and thanking him for directing the 1D This Is Us documentary.
The star’s loyal fan base had raised concerns about the troubled star, following a series of disturbing displays, including an erratic red carpet appearance, shocking hospital admissions, canceled appearances and extended videos.