The world of celebrity can feel both distant and intimately familiar, and Liam Payne’s tragic death at just 31 has once again shown how deeply we can connect to public figures, even if we’ve never met them. Whether or not you were a devoted One Direction fan, Payne’s sudden passing has sparked an outpouring of grief across social media and led to vigils being held around the world. But why does the loss of a celebrity like Payne resonate so profoundly with people who only knew him from afar?

Liam Payne’s former performing arts teacher and close friend has revealed she spoke to the “one of a kind” star just hours before his death.

“Nothing about the past few days have felt real,” Cassidy shared in an emotional note about the former One Direction singer.

Just one week before his untimely death, Liam Payne reportedly shelved plans to release his long-awaited second studio album.

The father of former One Direction star Liam Payne has travelled to Buenos Aires following the singer’s death.