Liam Payne's cousin criticises music industry for lack of accountability
Liam Payne's cousin Ross Harris says the music industry lacks accountability and that he missed a call from the singer on the day he died.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Liam Payne's cousin, Ross Harris, has spoken publicly about the singer's death, criticising the music industry for what he describes as a lack of accountability. In an exclusive interview with ITV's Good Morning Britain, Harris said Payne was 'let down' by the industry that made him a global star.
Payne, who rose to fame as a member of One Direction, died in October 2024 at the age of 31 after falling from a third-floor hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina. His death sent shockwaves around the world.
Harris, who is also a musician, is releasing an acoustic version of his song 'Bones' as a tribute to Payne, with all proceeds going to charities close to the singer's heart. He is also launching a charity in his memory.
Reflecting on Payne's childhood, Harris said the star was 'always very outgoing, very kind' and that he knew him simply as 'Liam, my little cousin'. He described how the two families were close and would spend weekends together.
Harris said Payne's success came too young. 'Even though he was in his 30s, he was still basically a kid in this industry because he didn't have a chance to grow up like a normal person would,' he said. He questioned whether the X Factor audition at age 14 was too early, though he noted Payne was 'a mature 15, 16 year old'.
The most poignant moment came when Harris revealed he missed a call from Payne on the day he died. 'He'd call me all the time, I'd call him, and we'd miss it because of time difference, and then I tried to call, but I think he was already gone by that point,' he said.
Harris said the music industry needs to take responsibility for artists' welfare. 'The problem is there's no accountability. When someone's image is used to make money, I believe there has to be an accountability on the party that is making that money,' he said.
He added that despite being adored by millions, Payne felt unloved. 'He didn't feel very loved, which is ironic for a superstar because he has a million people plus who love him, but they love Liam Payne. He needs someone to love Liam.'
Harris said he wrote drafts of messages to people asking them to reach out to Payne, but never sent them because he thought there would be more time. 'I wrote a bunch of drafts to people just to say, you know, Liam would appreciate a call. I didn't send any of them because I thought we'd have more time,' he said.
The X Factor team, who launched Payne's career, previously said they were 'heartbroken' by his death and pointed to his lasting legacy.
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On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | ITV |
|---|---|
| Liam Payne died in 2024 after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina. | |
| Ross Harris believes the music industry lacks accountability for how artists are treated. | |
| Ross Harris is releasing a tribute single and launching a charity in memory of Liam Payne. | |
| Ross Harris missed a call from Liam Payne on the day he died and was unable to reach him in time. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
This broadcast gave an extended interview segment with Ross Harris, focusing on his emotional account of missing a call from Liam Payne on the day he died and his criticism of the music industry. The tone was somber and reflective, with a strong emphasis on the personal and human cost of fame.
- “He was always very outgoing, very kind. Obviously, he's known around the world as this person, Liam Payne. I know him as Liam, my little cousin.”
- “The problem is there's no accountability. When someone's image is used to make money, I believe there has to be an accountability on the party that is making that money.”
- “I wrote a bunch of drafts to people just to say, you know, Liam would appreciate a call. I didn't send any of them because I thought we'd have more time.”
This broadcast summarised the interview with Ross Harris, placing it within the context of a wider news bulletin that also covered the Nepal floods. It highlighted the missed call and the critique of the music industry, but with a shorter, more newsy tone. The segment also included background on Payne's career and the formation of One Direction through X Factor.
- “the cousin of the late one direction star Liam Payne has described how he was so kind and cheeky but was tragically let down by the music industry”
- “he says there is no accountability within the music industry and liam never had the chance to grow up”
- “ross described how he missed a call from the star on the day he died by the time he tried to call back it was too late”
Broadcast Timeline
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