A Full-Circle Moment: Liam Payne Witnessed One Direction's Legacy on Building the Band

Liam Payne on Building the Band
Credit: Netflix | Fair use for promotional purposes

Liam Payne on Building the Band
Credit: Netflix | Fair use for promotional purposes

Liam Payne managed to witness the legacy of One Direction to one of the contestants in a recent episode of Building the Band.

As many fans already know, before his passing in October last year, the late singer managed to participate in and film episodes for the Netflix reality series. The premiere episode last week was dedicated to his memory.

How Did Liam Payne React to Contestant's One Direction Tribute on Building the Band?

Kelly Rowland, Liam Payne, and Nicole Scherzinger in episode 107 of Building The Band.
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Credit: Netflix | Fair use for promotional purposes

In one of the recent episodes of Building the Band (via EW), Midnight Til Morning member Mason gave a special shoutout to Payne after their performance and shared a story of how One Direction inspired him to be part of a group.

"Can I say one thing really quick? I just wanna say Liam, when I was about 11 years old, my family won tickets from Australia. My sisters are obsessed with you, and they won flights for my whole family to sit front row at Madison Square Garden when I was a little kid. And ever since that moment, I wanted to be in a group," he said.

"It’s kind of a full-circle moment to be in a group and performing in front of you. So thank you, man."

Payne was visibly moved by the contestant's words and replied, "Thank you." He waved to the camera and added, "Hi, sisters!"

Host AJ McLean chimed in and teased Payne, "You know, he said the same thing to me too, so. I’m just saying!" Payne laughed in response.

When Midnight Til Morning exited the stage, Payne turned to Kelly Rowland and said, "I feel all warm!"

How Did Building the Band Pay Tribute to Liam Payne?

The premiere episode of Building the Band opened with a message from McLean, in which he honored the memory of Payne and announced at that time that he would make a posthumous appearance as a guest judge in later episodes.

"When we came together to film Building the Band, we never imagined we’d soon be saying goodbye to our friend Liam Payne," he said.

"Liam is a guest judge in later episodes, and through his presence, we see his deep love for music and his unwavering commitment to helping others find their voice. It’s through that spirit that we dedicate this series to Liam and his family."

Payne's episodes eventually aired on Netflix this week, giving fans a glimpse of the late singer's final work before his passing.

What do you think of Payne's fan encounter in Building the Band? Let us know in the comments.

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