Rita Ora gets emotional as she remembers Liam Payne at MTV Europe Music Awards
Rita Ora became emotional while talking about Liam Payne during MTV EMAs
Rita Ora, the host of Sunday's MTV Europe Music Awards, paid an emotional tribute to late singer Liam Payne during the ceremony. Payne died on October 16 after falling off a hotel balcony. Ora got teary-eyed as she remembered Payne on stage.
The British singer-songwriter said, "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."
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. A short montage of black and white photos of Payne with the words, "MTV Remembers Liam Payne 1993-2024," was played on the screen.
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.
Born on August 29, 1993, Liam Payne was raised in Wolverhampton, England and rose to fame as a member of One Direction.
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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.