Niall Horan has said he will “cherish every moment” he had with Liam Payne “forever” following the death of his One Direction bandmate.
Payne, who rose to fame with the boy band on The X Factor, died after falling from a third-floor balcony of the Casa Sur Hotel in the Argentine capital Buenos Aires on Wednesday.
“I’m absolutely devastated about the passing of my amazing friend, Liam. It just doesn’t feel real”, Horan wrote in an Instagram post.
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“Liam had an energy for life and a passion for work that was infectious. He was the brightest in every room and always made everyone feel happy and secure.
“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 out 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.”
Payne is said to have been in Buenos Aires to attend one of Horan's concerts, having been seen dancing at his show two weeks ago at the Movistar Arena alongside his girlfriend Kate Cassidy.
Horan continued: “I feel so fortunate that I got to see him recently. I sadly didn’t know that after saying goodbye and hugging him that evening, I would be saying goodbye forever. It’s heartbreaking.”
The singer also sent his “love and condolences” to Payne’s family and his son Bear, who he shared with Girls Aloud singer Cheryl.
He signed off the statement saying: “Thank you for everything, Payno. Love you brother. Nialler.”
Payno is what the members of One Direction and fans alike used to affectionately call Payne during his time in the boyband, while Horan was often referred to as Nialler.
