‘I feel empty’: ‘Heartbroken’ Simon Cowell pays tribute to Liam Payne in lengthy statement

Simon Cowell has given a lengthy statement in the wake of Liam Payne’s death and says he feels “heartbroken”. “You never really know how you feel about someone until a moment like this happens. Liam, I am devastated. Heartbroken. And I feel empty,” he said in a statement on Instagram. “And I want you to know how much love and respect I have for you. Every tear I have shed is a memory of you.” Mr Cowell described Mr Payne as “kind, funny, sweet, thoughtful, talented, humble, and focused”. The X Factor judge had mentored the British singer and his former One Direction bandmates on the show when they were discovered. Mr Payne died from a severe fall from a third-floor balcony in Buenos Aires this week, leaving many people in shock and mourning.