Rita Ora gets teary-eyed as she remembers Liam Payne at MTV Europe Music Awards: ‘He had the biggest heart’

“Just want to take a moment to remember someone that was very, very dear to us. We lost him recently and he was a big part of the MTV world, and my world, and I think a lot of yours at home and everybody in here tonight,” Ora spoke into the mic during the ceremony, which was staged at Co-op Live in Manchester, England.

She described Liam Payne as “one of the kindest people” that she knew. “There were so many ways that we were talking about honouring him and I think sometimes, just simply speaking, is enough. He had the biggest heart and was always the first person to offer help in any way that he could,” Ora added.

As the crowd cheered Ora on, the Let You Love Me singer then threw to MTV’s video tribute to Payne. “Let’s just take a moment to remember our friend, Liam,” Ora directed. The TV network then aired a short montage of black and white photos of Payne with the words, “MTV Remembers Liam Payne 1993-2024,” posted as an introduction.

Ora had collaborated with Payne on the song For You. Ora was a judge on The X Factor in 2015, five years after Payne, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik and Harry Styles came third on the show as One Direction.

Liam Payne, born on August 29, 1993, in Wolverhampton, England, rose to fame as a member of One Direction. The band first found success on the British talent show The X Factor in 2010, where Payne was grouped with Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik.

Together, One Direction became one of the bestselling music acts in history, with five studio albums and seven Brit Awards to their name. After the band went on hiatus in 2016, Payne pursued a solo career, releasing his debut album LP1 in 2019.