Liam Payne’s fans have recalled a wild story from his visit to Australia after news emerged of his shock death on Wednesday evening.
The former One Direction star, 31, reportedly fell from the third floor of a hotel in the Argentine capital Buenos Aires, according to TMZ.
During a visit to Australia in 2013, a fan broke into the private home where Liam was staying with his bandmates Niall Horin, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Harry Styles and left with a pair of his underwear.
A witness told the Daily Telegraph at the time that she saw six girls and an eight-year-old boy jump over a door to enter Payne’s Palm Beach apartment.
‘It’s Calvin Klein underwear. They only took the underwear. They wanted to bring a wetsuit, but someone bought it inside,” she said.
Asked about his craziest fan experiences on Fitzy and Wippa’s NOVA radio show in 2014, Liam revealed the trip was ‘the worst to Australia’.
“I always had Australia in mind as a place I would want to move to if things got too crazy,” he told hosts Ryan Fitzgerald and Michael “Wippa” Wipfli.
“But when we first came to Australia, I didn’t expect it to be this crazy.
Liam Payne’s fans are recalling a wild story from his visit to Australia after news of his sudden death emerged on Wednesday evening
‘I think Australia and South America are the two craziest places we visit.
‘I really love Australia, I love the atmosphere of it, so relaxed, I really like it, but it’s just too crazy for us there now.’
Fans around the world are in mourning after hearing the shocking news of Payne’s death on Wednesday.
Local media reported that Payne fell from his room at the CasaSur Palmero Hotel shortly after 5pm on Wednesday.
Emergency services are believed to be present outside the hotel, where a red tent has been set up on site.
The investigation into the 31-year-old’s death is still ongoing.
City ambulance spokesman Alberto Crescenti said he fell about 40 meters and suffered “serious injuries incompatible with life.”
During a visit to Australia in 2013, a fan broke into the private home where Liam was staying with his bandmates Niall Horin, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson and Harry Styles and made off with some of his underwear.
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.”
The Night Changes singer was spotted at his former bandmate Niall Horan’s concert in the country earlier this month.
Payne first auditioned for the X Factor in 2008, when he was just 14, and impressed the judges with his own version of Frank Sinatra’s Fly Me To The Moon.
However, he gave his singing career another chance by auditioning for the competition again in 2010, where he quickly rose to fame as part of One Direction.
He and his former bandmates Niall, Zayn, Harry and Louis were brought together by Simon Cowell and former judge Nicole Scherzinger who saw their potential as a group.
Payne [second from right] poses with his One Direction bandmates Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson in 2011
After just a few weeks of getting to know each other and rehearsing non-stop, the group impressed Simon at their audition at Judge’s Houses and sailed through to the live shows.
The pop Svengali later admitted to Rolling Stone that it took him “about a millionth of a second” to discover the group’s global potential.
The fan response was also immediate, with 1D hysteria quickly overshadowing the show. Despite the adulation, the band eventually finished in third place on the X Factor, but shortly afterwards Cowell sealed their fate by signing the five-piece to a £2 million Syco contract.
Eager to capitalize on the boys’ already dedicated fan base, Cowell quickly began recording the band’s debut album in January 2011.
In September that year, One Direction’s first single was released and What Makes You Beautiful rose to number one in the UK Singles Chart, after becoming Sony Music Entertainment’s most pre-ordered single in history.
Their debut album Up All Night was also a bestseller and became the fastest selling debut album of 2011 in Britain, with the record leading to their first tour which kicked off in Britain in December.
After Malik announced his departure from the band in 2015, the band went their separate ways.
Local media reported on Wednesday evening that Payne had fallen from his room at the CasaSur Palmero Hotel shortly after 5pm on Wednesday
During their time as a band, One Direction won five Brit Awards, four MTV Video Music Awards, amassed more than three billion YouTube views and sold 50 million records worldwide.
After releasing five albums with one of the biggest boy bands of all time, Liam released his first solo album in 2019, titled LP1.
His singles Strip That Down, co-written with Ed Sheeran, climbed to No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart that same year.
Over the course of his music career, the pop star has collaborated with J Balvin, French Montana, Dixie D’Amelio and A Boogie Wit da Hoodie, among others.
He previously dated British pop sensation Cheryl Cole and the couple welcomed their son Bear Gray on March 22, 2017.
MailOnline has contacted Liam Payne’s representatives for comment.
Pictured: the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, where Payne died
There has been an outpouring of tributes online, with former XFactor contestants Jedwad writing: ‘RIP Liam Payne. Condolences to his friends and family.”
They added: “Sending strength to Cheryl and his son Bear, and the entire One Direction family.”
Paris Hilton wrote: “So upsetting to hear the news that Liam Payne has passed away. Sending love and condolences to his family and loved ones. RIP my friend.
Stephen Bartlett wrote: ‘I can’t believe what I’m reading about Liam Payne. Absolutely heartbreaking.”
MTV released the following tribute: “We are deeply saddened to learn today of the tragic passing of Liam Payne. Our thoughts remain with his family, loved ones and fans at this difficult time.”
The Brit Awards said: ‘We are incredibly saddened to hear of the tragic passing of Liam Payne. Our thoughts and prayers are with his friends and family at this time.”
Spotify also added: “We are deeply saddened by the news of Liam Payne’s passing. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and the many fans who loved and supported him.”