Simon Cowell reveals ‘horrific’ moment he heard of Liam Payne's death
15 December 2025, 17:15
Cowell broke down on camera while filming his Netflix show, The Next Act with boyband December 10.
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Simon Cowell held back tears in his new Netflix documentary The Next Act when he learned of the tragic death of One Direction star Liam Payne.
The music mogul, who remained close to Liam until his passing in October last year, revealed that the heartbreaking news nearly caused him to halt filming on the six-part talent series.
In a mark of respect, Simon sent footage of the moment to Liam’s family and his ex, Cheryl Tweedy, before the episode aired last week.
The Next Act follows Simon as he searches for the next big boyband, aiming to replicate the record-breaking success of One Direction, whom he discovered on The X Factor in 2010.
Speaking after the series dropped on Wednesday (December 10), Simon explained: “In the middle, there was that moment with Liam, which was just horrific. That really threw us. I was very close to him and that was hard. We almost stopped filming. I had to go away, clear my head."
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He continued: “We took a break for about two weeks. Before that it had been almost every day. I sent [parts of episode three] to Liam’s parents and Cheryl to see, for obvious reasons, and I said, ‘Look, I don’t want you to just see it when it airs.’"
“And so the production company sent it to them and they were fine with it. It was respectful, I think.” Liam and Cheryl, who share an eight-year-old son, Bear, remained a central presence in Simon’s thoughts during the difficult period.
Speaking on camera, Simon said of Liam: “He was just so normal and down to earth, he always had a sparkle in his eye. Everyone adored him. You don’t know how you feel about someone until you lose them. I am going to genuinely miss him.”
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Filming of The Next Act had been underway almost daily since December 2023, giving viewers a behind-the-scenes look at Simon’s intensive talent hunt.
Cowell admitted the devastating news forced him to pause and consider whether to continue.
Brit Award-winning singer-songwriter Kamille, who helped Simon in the search for a new boyband, reflected on the moment in a Q&A with The Mirror.
“At the time he took a break from filming because it was so devastating and he needed time to process it," she said. "We were all there for each other but it was such a sad time, I think part of you’s still shaken by it."
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Kamille added: "But you know what, Simon’s very strong - and he really didn’t want to let these boys down, I think he carried on for that reason.”
The result of that nationwide search is a brand-new seven-piece boyband called December 10, a group the mogul hopes will dominate the charts much like One Direction did.
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Simon unveiled the new boyband, December 10, following the conclusion of Netflix's The Next Act, handpicked alongside a trusted team of industry figures — including hitmakers Pete Waterman, Savan Kotecha, and Kamille — the seven members of December 10 are now poised to begin their journey in the music world.
The members chose the name December 10 to mark the exact moment they consider the band to have been born.
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