Simon Cowell’s sly dig about Liam Payne during X Factor auditions – as music mogul faces pressure over ‘young fame aftercare’

Music mogul Simon Cowell is facing pressure over the aftercare provided for young performers suddenly rocketed to fame, following the death of Liam Payne.

Cowell, 65, is said to be ‘shocked and devastated’ after former One Direction star Payne, 31, plunged 45ft to his death on Wednesday at the Casa Sur Hotel in Argentina’s capital Buenos Aires.

Former X Factor star Katie Waissel has called for a negligence and duty of care investigation into Cowell’s record firm and ‘new laws’ to protect stars’ wellbeing.

Cowell initially rejected Payne as a 14-year-old contestant on The X Factor in 2008 – telling him to try again when older.

And backstage footage not released for 12 years shows him making a barbed dig at Liam during discussions about forming boyband One Direction in the 2010 series.

Liam Payne, rejected by the show in 2008 but more successful two years later, is seen accepting the prize for Best British Artist Video of the Year at the 2017 BRIT Awards – alongside Simon Cowell and Nicole Scherzinger

Cowell (middle) with (from left to right) Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Zayn Malik

The previously-unaired clip was shared online in 2022, featuring discussions between Cowell and fellow X Factor judges Nicole Scherzinger and Louis Walsh – in which the Syco boss appeared to accuse Payne of arrogance.

The trio were choosing which boys should be grouped together after all had auditioned as solo artists. 

Scherzinger was seen pushing for the contestants who would go on to form One Direction, saying: ‘They’re just too talented to get rid of. And they’ve got just the right look and the right charisma on stage.

‘They’re like little stars, so you can’t get rid of little stars – you put them all together.’

Payne suggested in June 2022 he was Cowell’s first pick for the band, though the footage shared just weeks later revealed Niall Horan was actually the initial choice.

The judges did praise Payne’s vocal ability, with Cowell commenting: ‘He was the standout audition.’

But he asked Scherzinger, ‘You don’t think he should be over there?’, while pointing to a section of their table earmarked for potential solo male contenders.

Disagreeing, Nicole replied: ‘I don’t think so. If he’s the standout, then he could be the leader.’

Liam Payne is seen performing on The X Factor in September 2010 in the show’s 7th series

Liam Payne, who died aged 31 on Wednesday, had a son named Bear with former partner Cheryl – the pair are pictured here at a BRIT Awards after-party in February 2018

One Direction are pictured here at London’s Connaught Hotel in December 2010 – left to right: Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles, Simon Cowell, Zayn Malik and Niall Horan

And in the seeming dig at Payne, Cowell then stated: ‘He thinks he’s better than anyone else in that list.’

Louis responded by saying: ‘He really does, Simon. He has the confidence. But he’s good, he’s consistent.’

Speaking about his later success on the show, Liam said on Logan Paul‘s podcast in June 2022: ‘From what I’ve heard, part of the reason One Direction was made was because of Simon’s promise to me that, “In two years, I’ll make this work for you”.

‘So he started with my face, and then worked around the rest… I was the honorary member of One Direction. He told me that story himself at his house.’

Liam’s comments went viral at the time, even prompting a dig from US popstar Lizzo who remarked in a TikTok clip last month: ‘I don’t know who lied to that poor boy, but he was not the frontman.’

One Direction appeared on the seventh season of The X Factor, which aired on ITV at the end of 2010.

While Matt Cardle went on to win the singing competition that year, One Direction became one of the most successful acts to come out of the former ITV programme – after being signed to Cowell’s music label Syco..

But Payne, from Wolverhampton, has spoken in the past about his struggles with alcohol, drugs and ‘severe suicidal thoughts’ in the wake of his rise to fame. 

Simon Cowell, pictured filming America’s Got Talent in Pasadena, California, in September this year is said to be ‘shocked and devastated’ by Liam Payne’s death

Liam Payne had spoken about his drug and alcohol problems, in an appearance on the Diary Of A CEO podcast in 2022

Liam Payne looks at his laptop in the Casa Sur Hotel lobby in Buenos Aires on Wednesday at 4.26pm local time (8.26pm UK time). The alarm was raised at 5.04pm following his fall

He also told on the Logan Paul podcast of his previous upset when rejected in the 2008 series, describing the conversation he had with Cowell after that decision.

He said: “We had dinner with my mum. Simon was like, “I’m really sorry I had to let you go. I didn’t want to let you go but you have to go and get your education and come back in two years”.

‘At this point I was really mad at Simon because I thought I’d beat the kid that got through.’

Cowell himself would later be upset by Payne’s decision to switch from Syco to Universal Music label Capitol in July 2016, having not told him first.

Cowell told the Sun at the time: ‘It is a bit annoying, if I am honest with you – mainly because it is a another label who has now got your artist who you worked with for so many years.

‘But that is the music business, unfortunately. I don’t think anyone else from the band will do that.’

An insider close to Cowell has told DailyMail.com how Cowell feels ‘sick’ at the news of Payne’s death and was ‘trying to figure out what he can do to support his family’. 

They said: ‘Simon is gutted with the Liam news.

The X Factor clip in which judges Nicole Scherzinger, Louis Walsh and Simon Cowell talk about putting together the five members of One Direction was not made public until 2022

In the footage, it was revealed that Niall was the first boy pulled out of the stack to form the band, followed by Harry, then Louis, then Liam with Zayn completing the line-up

‘Simon has a son that he loves more than anything and in essence the boys from One Direction were his first set of sons, he spent so much time with them, and he loves all of them.

‘This is a tragedy, and he has so many emotions going through him at this time.

‘Liam was such an important person in his life and Simon is sick that this happened.

‘He is holding the memories he has with Payne close to his heart. It is just an absolute nightmare, and a very sad thing to deal with.’

The Mail today revealed that Universal had dropped Payne on Monday last week, just nine days before his death which is being investigated by Argentine officials.

Meanwhile, Waissel, a 38-year-old singer-songwriter who auditioned alongside Payne on the 2010 series, has name-checked Cowell in two statements in which she accused music bosses of focusing on ‘profits rather than people‘. 

Last night she went further still – citing an ‘urgent need for change in the music industry’ as she called for an ‘immediate investigation’ and ‘new laws’ to protect stars in the aftermath of Payne’s death.

Taking to social media, she posted: ‘The tragic loss of my dear friend Liam Payne highlights the urgent need for change in the music industry. 

Mourning music mogul  Simon Cowell has stepped down from filming Britain’s Got Talent in the wake of Liam Payne’s sudden death at the age of 31

Katie Waissel, a 38-year-old singer-songwriter who auditioned alongside Payne on the 2010 series of X Factor, has called for an investigation into Cowell’s company

‘I’m calling for an immediate investigation into SyCo Entertainment for negligence and breach of duty of care. Artists are not commodities, and their wellbeing must be prioritised. 

‘We need new laws to protect the safety and mental health of all in the industry. NO MORE PROFIT OVER PEOPLE. Let Liam’s story spark the reform we desperately need.’

Continuing her tribute to her ‘kind and grounded’ friend, Waissel – who previously claimed The X Factor ‘ruined my life’ – said last night: ‘Artists are not commodities, and their wellbeing must be prioritised.

‘We need new laws to protect the safety and mental health of all in the industry. No more profit over people. Let Liam’s story spark the reform we desperately need.’

The singer went on to say that to the outside world One Direction were seen as ‘the untouchables’ because of their huge, global success.

Yet in reality, she claims, the stars were also suffering from ‘trauma’ of going on the show, over which they all ‘bonded’ after being ‘cattle-branded’ by Cowell’s music business.

Name-checking Cowell and his business once again, she told Sky News: ‘They were so young during The X Factor and to be very frank and transparent, once you have been on that show or associated or affiliated with the likes of say Simon Cowell or SyCo Entertainment you are cattle-branded.

‘That’s your identity no matter what you do, that’s your identity. And when you are trying to branch away from that, it’s very difficult from a mental health standpoint to then re-find your own identity and life purpose if you are perhaps taking a different direction in life.

Fans of Liam Payne lit candles next to the hotel where he died in Buenos Aires on Wednesday

Payne plunged from a third floor balcony of the Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires (file photo)

Liam Payne is pictured next to a lift in the Casa Sur Hotel lobby at 4.28pm on Wednesday

‘When it comes to addiction and so come and so forth it has been rife in the industry for many years. Other times people self-medicate because they are struggling, they don’t know who they turn to.’

Waissell’s comments come after fellow contestant Rebecca Ferguson also said the PTSD caused by ‘profiteering off young stars’ had ‘finally taken its first victim’.

Penning a tribute on social media, the singer said: ‘It’s always a hotel room! We both met at Euston Station and shared the taxi together to X Factor, young, innocent and unaffected by fame.

‘I can’t help but think of that boy who was hopeful and looking forward to his bright future ahead. If he hadn’t jumped on that train and jumped in that taxi I believe he would be alive today.

‘I’ve spoken for years about the exploitation and profiteering of young stars and the effects – many of us are still living with the aftermath and the PTSD [post traumatic stress disorder].

‘Many of us are devastated and reflective today as it has finally taken its first victim.’

Meanwhile it has been reported that the death of Payne has hit music mogul Cowell ‘incredibly hard’, with him taking a step back from filming for Britain’s Got Talent in Blackpool.

Recording is set to pick back up on Saturday with Alesha Dixon, Amanda Holden, KSI and Bruno on the panel while Cowell grieves the popstar’s death.

‘This news has hit Simon incredibly hard – he is utterly shocked and devastated,’ a source told The Sun.

One of Liam Payne’s final selfies in Buenos Aires was captioned: ‘Lovely day in Argentina’ 

Payne’s girlfriend Kate Cassidy posted a picture of the pair on her Instagram from last August

Police in the hotel reception area of the Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires after Liam Payne fell

Fans light candles as they pay tribute to Liam Payne at the Obelisco in Buenos Aires last night

‘He adored Liam, and was close to his family with whom he is sure to reach out privately. He didn’t feel it was right to continue with filming BGT, and when it resumes on Saturday, does not feel he’ll be in the right head space to continue.

‘All the judges and production crew are being hugely supportive.’

Cowell was seen yesterday afternoon in the back seat of a car in Blackpool, where he was holding auditions for Britain’s Got Talent before cancelling them at the last minute after hearing of the tragedy.

A spokesperson for Freemantle UK, the programme’s producer, announced they were halting auditions for the Britain’s Got Talent yesterday. 

Waissel first took to X on Wednesday night to reveal her heartbreak at her friend’s death, writing: ‘My heart is completely torn to shreds right now, I am at an absolute loss for words.

‘If Simon Cowell dare put a statement out on the heart wrenching, tragic loss of my dear and darling friend Liam, he would be a fool. We all know the truth… and I’ll be sure it all comes out.’

She later released a long statement in which she described Payne as ‘my confidant and my rock’, before turning her focus to her views on the state of the music industry.

‘Liam was kind, with a pure heart, a sharp mind, and the wisdom of an old soul. His warmth and compassion left a lasting impact on everyone who had the privilege of knowing him,’ Waissel wrote.

Liam’s first ever X Factor audition in 2008, when he was just 14

Waissel first took to X on Wednesday night to reveal her heartbreak at her friend’s death

She later released a long statement in which she described Payne as ‘ my confidant and my rock’, before turning her focus to her views on the state of the music industry’

Cowell, 65, was a judge on X Factor and signed One Direction to his music label, Syco after their stint on the show in 2010 (Pictured left to right: Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik and Niall Horan)

‘His tragic passing not only leaves an irreplaceable void in the hearts of those who loved him but also serves as a painful reminder of the systemic neglect that persists in the industry.

‘There are those who had a responsibility to provide the care and support necessary for the well-being of young artists, but too often, the focus remained on profits rather than the people.

‘This industry has treated talent like commodities, and the negligence of duty of care has once again led to a heart-wrenching loss. We need only look at Simon Cowell’s recent interview with Steven Bartlett, where he admits his greatest regret was not owning the band’s name.’

‘The real regret should be the failure to prioritize the emotional and physical welfare of the artists who put their trust in these institutions. Contracts, whether they are for television shows or record deals, come with a legal and moral duty of care that must be upheld.’

Waissel said her heart ‘breaks’ for Payne’s family and she felt ‘so deeply sorry for all that you went through’.

She added: ‘The change the industry so desperately needs will come, and we will honor your legacy until it does. Keep singing in the sky, my friend. With all my love, Katie.’

Rebecca Ferguson, who also appeared on X Factor in 2010 alongside Payne and Waissel, has previously shared her views that the music industry is hiding ‘awful human rights abuses’ and claimed that she has endured ‘systematic misogyny and bullying’ throughout her career.

Today the singer released her own tribute to Payne on X, writing: ‘It’s always a hotel room! We both met at Euston station and shared the taxi together to X factor, young, innocent and unaffected by fame.

Liam giving an interview on X Factor when he was aged 14  

Ferguson, who also appeared on X Factor in 2010 alongside Payne and Waissel, also shared her views on X 

Rebecca Ferguson, who also appeared on X Factor in 2010 alongside Payne and Waissel, also intervened today 

‘I can’t help but think of that boy who was hopeful and looking forward to his bright future ahead. If he hadn’t jumped on that train and jumped in that taxi I believe he would be alive today.

‘I’ve spoken for years about the exploitation and profiteering of young stars and the effects – many of us are still living with the aftermath and the PTSD [post traumatic stress disorder].

‘Many of us are devastated and reflective today as it has finally taken its first victim. Rest in Peace Liam, I hope you find peace on the other side and love to your mum and family x.’

Meanwhile, former X Factor judge Sharon Osbourne has admitted, ‘We all let you down’, as she declared the industry failed to support Payne in his struggles.

Sharing a snap of Liam, she wrote: ‘Liam, my heart aches. We all let you down. Where was this industry when you needed them?

‘You were just a kid when you entered one of the toughest industries in the world. Who was in your corner? Rest in peace my friend.’

The wife of rockstar Ozzy Osbourne appeared on the X Factor judging panel from 2004 to 2007, before returning in 2013, 2016 and 2017 and also appeared on America’s Got Talent between 2007 and 2012.

Yet she confirmed she would never return to the show as due to the damage it can cause stars.

‘We all let you down’: Sharon Osbourne has claimed the music industry failed to support Liam Payne after his former X Factor mentor Simon Cowell found himself in the firing line

In her post she said her ‘heart aches’ for the star following his tragic death

She added that Liam was ‘just a kid’ when he rose to fame in the ‘tough’ industry

During an interview on Greatest Hits Radio, she previously explained: ‘As far as talent shows go, and I’ve been away from it for a while, it was kind of like the Wild West.

‘You didn’t really know the importance and what it does to people’s lives and as far as I’m concerned, the whole thing needs to be changed.

‘As well as giving people, a lot of people, opportunities with their careers it can also damage a lot of people too. You have to be very, very careful.

‘You’re handling people’s lives, you’ve got their future in your hands and it’s not anything to laugh at.’

Payne’s family has described feeling ‘heartbroken’ by his tragic and untimely death, adding that the former One Direction star will ‘forever live in our hearts’.

His relatives said in an emotional statement: ‘We are heartbroken. Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul.

‘We are supporting each other the best we can as a family and ask for privacy and space at this awful time.’

Payne’s uncle Roger Harris also told MailOnline: ‘We are all just deeply saddened and trying to come to terms with it. I just hope everybody gives them some privacy really and allows them to come to terms with it. That’s all I can say.’

One Direction are seen here at an HMV store in Manchester in March 2011 – left to right: Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan

Tributes have been left for Liam Payne at the hotel where he died in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Another relative speaking at Payne’s family home in Wolverhampton told MailOnline: ‘We are utterly devastated by the news.’

It comes as The Mail revealed that Liam had been dropped by his record label Universal Music just days before his death.

On Thursday, Universal Music Group posted an image of Liam Payne on Instagram saying they were ‘devastated’ about his death.

MailOnline has contacted Syco for comment.