Liam Payne funeral latest: One Direction star’s bandmates and girlfriend Kate Cassidy pictured outside church

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Niall Horan shared a personal tribute to his late One Direction bandmate Liam Payne in the wake of his death, reflecting on their meeting just weeks earlier.

“I’m absolutely devastated about the passing of my amazing friend, Liam,” Horan, 31, wrote. “It just doesn’t feel real.

“Liam had an energy for life and a passion for work that was infectious. He was the brightest in every room and made everyone feel happy and secure.”

He continued: “All the laughs we had over the years, sometimes about the simplest of things, keep coming to mind through the sadness. We got to live our wildest dreams together and I will cherish every moment we had forever.

“The bond and friendship we had doesn’t happen often in a lifetime.”

Horan said he felt “so fortunate” that he had been able to see Payne while he was touring in Argentina: “I sadly didn’t know that after saying goodbye and hugging him that evening, I would be saying goodbye forever. It’s heartbreaking.”

He concluded: “My love and condolences go out to Geoff, Karen, Ruth, Nicola and of course his son Bear. Thank you for everything, Payno. Love you brother. Nialler.”

BBC Radio 2 host Scott Mills has arrived ahead of the funeral of Liam Payne in Buckinghamshire.

The presenter, who spent a lot of time with One Direction in the early days of their career, wore a black long coat over dark trousers for the service.

Former professional footballer Robbie Keane and broadcaster Adrian Chiles were also amongst the mourners gathering to pay their last respects to Payne.

Liam Payne’s former One Direction bandmates Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson have all arrived for the pop singer’s funeral today.

Styles was accompanied by his friend, actor and TV presenter James Cordon. The pair arrived at St Mary’s Church in a BMW and were dressed in black.

They went straight inside the church.

As well as the joint tribute with his surviving One Direction bandmates, Harry Styles shared a personal message from his Instagram following Payne’s death.

“I am truly devastated by Liam’s passing,” he wrote.

“His greatest joy was making other people happy, and it was an honour to be alongside him as he did it.

“Liam lived wide open, with his heart on his sleeve, he had an energy for life that was infectiou. He was warm, supportive, and incredibly loving. The years we spent together will forever remain among the most cherished years of my life. I will miss him always, my lovely friend.

“My heart breaks for Karen, Geoff, Nicola and Ruth, his son Bear, and all those around the world who knew and loved him, as I did.”

Jamie Scott has arrived at Liam Payne’s funeral. One Direction fans will recognise him as the writer and producer behind some of One Direction’s biggest hits – he is the only collaborator to have worked on every one of their albums and helped them to transition from teen pop into a more mature sound.

Among the singles he co-wrote include “Story of My Life”, “Drag Me Down”, “Night Changes” and “Midnight Memories”, while he also collaborated with 1D’s members after their split in 2016, most notably with Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson.

The former X Factor judge also revealed how she wants people to remember the One Direction star as she paid an emotional tribute to him when she appeared on Good Morning America on Friday (25 October).

The 46-year-old said: “Liam and I were quite close.

“And so, yeah, I’m heartbroken. I’m heartbroken for Liam. I’m heartbroken for his family and his loved ones and his fans.

“Liam always led with his heart and with kindness, and I really hope that’s how he’ll always be remembered.”

The 31-year-old singer tragically died on 16 October after falling from a third-floor balcony of the Casa Sur Hotel in the Argentine capital Buenos Aires.

Nicole Scherzinger says she is ‘heartbroken’ over Liam Payne in live TV interview

Nicole Scherzinger said she is “heartbroken” over Liam Payne in her first live interview since his death. The former X Factor judge also revealed how she wants people to remember the One Direction star as she paid an emotional tribute to him when she appeared on Good Morning America on Friday (25 October). The 46-year-old said: “Liam and I were quite close. “And so, yeah, I’m heartbroken. I’m heartbroken for Liam. I’m heartbroken for his family and his loved ones and his fans. “Liam always led with his heart and with kindness, and I really hope that’s how he’ll always be remembered.” The 31-year-old singer tragically died on 16 October after falling from a third-floor balcony of the Casa Sur Hotel in the Argentine capital Buenos Aires.