Auditions for Simon Cowell‘s Britain’s Got Talent were postponed Thursday (Oct. 17) in light of Liam Payne‘s shocking death the day prior.
The decision was confirmed by Applause Store, which handles ticketing for the talent competition show, on X the morning auditions were set to take place in England. “Due to the tragic passing of Liam Payne, BGT has decided to postpone today’s auditions in Blackpool,” the company wrote. “We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.”
According to the audition venue’s website, Thursday was supposed to have been the final of three back-to-back days’ worth of auditions in the city. At press time, the show has not indicated when the auditions will be rescheduled.
Cowell launched Britain’s Got Talent in 2007, three years after he started the U.K. version of The X Factor. The late “Strip That Down” singer — who died at 31 years old Wednesday (Oct. 16) after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina — got his start in 2010 on the latter talent program, which placed him in the group One Direction with fellow contestants-turned-bandmates Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson. The band went on to have four No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 and six top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 before parting ways in 2015, after which Payne embarked on a solo career.
In the wake of his death, The X Factor shared a touching tribute to the late pop singer. “We are heartbroken by the sad passing of Liam Payne,” read a message posted to the show’s social media accounts Wednesday. “He was immensely talented and, as part of One Direction, Liam will leave a lasting legacy on the music industry and fans around the world. Our thoughts are with his friends, family and all who loved him.”
Countless musicians, entertainment industry peers and fans have also taken to social media to mourn Payne in the past 24 hours, including Zedd, Paris Hilton, Charlie Puth, the Backstreet Boys, Ty Dolla $ign and more. The “Get Low” artist’s family shared a statement with the BBC Thursday. “We are heartbroken. Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul,” the message read. “We are supporting each other the best we can as a family and ask for privacy and space at this awful time.”
See Applause Store’s tweet below.
