'Heartbroken' Lorraine Kelly shares concerns for Liam Payne and Cheryl's son Bear as she reflects on 'absolutely tragic' death of One Direction star and hails him as a 'devoted dad'

Lorraine Kelly has revealed she is 'heartbroken' as she paid tribute to Liam Payne during her daytime show on Thursday morning.

The One Direction singer was found dead at 31 after falling from the third floor into the courtyard of the Casa Sur Hotel hotel balcony in Buenos Aires on Wednesday.

And Lorraine shared her concerns for Liam's son Bear, seven, and his mother Cheryl as she recalled her first interview with the One Direction star back in 2008.

Speaking on her show she said: 'I was genuinely shocked when I saw this, it's absolutely tragic.

'I can't stop thinking about his wee boy Bear. His mum Cheryl is going to have to tell him she is going to have to break the news to him. And as you said he's only seven years-old.

'And he was always talking about his son, he was a very devoted dad. He might not have been with him all the time but he was a very devoted dad we saw lots of photographs of him with his dad and he talked about him all the time too.'

Liam had been dating Kate Cassidy since October 2022, but his most high-profile relationship was with Cheryl, 41, who is 10 years his senior and with whom he shares seven-year old son Bear.

Liam first auditioned for X Factor back in 2008 when he was just 14-years-old, however he was sent home by the judges who said he was too young and asked him to come back at some point.

The star then returned in 2010 where he auditioned as a solo artist but was chosen by the judges to be part of One Direction alongside Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik.

Lorraine was one of the first journalist to interview Liam at the beginning of his stardom in 2008 when he was 15-years-old.

Playing a clip from the interview, the Scottish presenter tells Liam: 'You're only 15 and you've dealt with all of this with huge maturity, you really have.'

He replies: 'I don't really get that nervous about doing different things, I enjoy it so much. I love singing.'

Watching the interview back Lorrain added: 'Oh he was just adorable, it is just unbelievably heartbreaking.'

'It's horrendous, he had so much to live for. His son obviously but he had so much planned.'

Liam was due to appear as a judge on a new Netflix show alongside former Destiny's Child singer Kelly Rowland and The Pussycat Dolls star Nicole Scherzinger.

The stars were to judge attempts to create a band, looking at the contestants' chemistry as they formed groupings in the musical competition series.

He was also thought to be making his second album after releasing his first single from his new record back in March.

Buenos Aires police said in a statement that Liam fell from the third floor of the Casa Sur Hotel in the trendy Palermo neighborhood of Argentina's capital, resulting in 'extremely serious injuries.'

Medics confirmed his death on the spot, the statement said. Pablo Policicchio, the spokesperson for the Security Ministry of Buenos Aires municipality, said in a statement to The Associated Press that Payne 'had thrown himself from the balcony of his room.'

Arriving police heard a thud and found Liam's body in the hotel courtyard, Policicchio said.

Alberto Crescenti, head of the Buenos Aires emergency services, revealed Payne had a 'cranial fracture and extremely serious injuries that led to his immediate death'.

He also told TN television that Liam was dead when paramedics arrived at 5pm local time (9pm UK time), adding: 'Our role was to head there quickly, give medical attention, and try to resuscitate him, but his injuries were incompatible with life.'

Liam's identity was confirmed by emergency services by checking his passport, but police do not yet have conclusive evidence regarding the circumstances of his fall.

The singer fell from a third-floor suite with a balcony overlooking an interior pool and the on-site Michelin-star restaurant where he landed in the courtyard.

Late last night, police in forensic suits were minutely examining the room and its balcony after colleagues below erected a red tent on the spot where Payne died.

The patio where he died is next to the swimming pool and is also the site for outdoor tables at the hotel's plant-based Sarco restaurant. No diners were there at the time, because Sacro closes after lunch at 4pm before reopening for dinner at 7.30pm.

Liam had arrived in Argentina earlier this month for his ex-bandmate Niall Horan's concert with his girlfriend Kate Cassidy. She left two days ago, but he stayed on.