Simon Cowell Postpones ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ Auditions Following Death of Liam Payne

Auditions for Britain’s Got Talent were scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 17, but Simon Cowell postponed them in the wake of Liam Payne’s death the previous night. Payne fell from the balcony of his hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina on Wednesday, Oct. 16. Organizers of Britain’s Got Talent decided it would be appropriate to take time off to grieve. According to a report by Deadline, the auditions would have taken place in Blackpool, England.

These auditions were organized by ApplauseStore, who announced the cancellation on social media. They explained that the auditions would be rescheduled due to “the tragic passing of Liam Payne,” adding: “We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.” Meanwhile, the show’s hosts Ant and Dec were spotted leaving a hotel in the area. Cowell produces the show through his company Syco Entertainment.

Cowell created Britain’s Got Talent and The X Factor for British TV, and Payne rose to prominence as a contestant on The X Factor. Cowell is generally credited with assembling One Direction from the contestants on the competition series, including Payne, Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik. The boy band is the most famous group to emerge from The X Factor, and perhaps from any of these talent shows.

Payne was just 14 years old when he first auditioned for judges Cowell, Cheryl Cole, Dannii Minogue and Louis Walsh. Payne was eliminated early on, but Cowell would later invite him back and encourage him to continue trying. Payne auditioned again two years later, and guest judge Nicole Scherzinger was the first to suggest teaming him up with the other four future members of One Direction. They became a worldwide sensation in the years that followed, and after the band split in 2016, they were all able to maintain success as solo performers as well.

Payne did much of his work behind the scenes after that, developing a reputation as a producer, co-writer and music publisher. He ventured into the hip-hop and EDM genres with remixes and collaborations, while continuing to release singer-songwriter-style music himself. Payne ultimately released just one solo album, with plans for another expected this year. Payne’s struggles with substance abuse and his stint in rehab may have contributed to the delays.

Payne’s death has shocked the entertainment industry, but so far Cowell has not commented publicly on the situation. Local authorities are still investigating the circumstances that led to Payne’s fall.