An unearthed video showing Liam Payne‘s incredible bond with Rita Ora has resurfaced following Rita’s emotional tribute to her pal at the MTV Emas on Sunday.
The 33-year-old pop star hosted the awards show at Co-op Live in Manchester and gave a heartfelt speech to honour the former One Direction singer who died in October aged 31.
The pair collaborated on the 2018 single For You and it’s clear to see how strong their friendship was as they larked around in the behind-the-scenes that is doing the rounds on social media.
Rita and Liam are seen sharing a giggle and lying on the floor during a break from recording in the sweet video clip.
They are joined by other music producers and are seen singing into a microphone while the song played in the background.
An unearthed video showing Liam Payne ‘s incredible bond with Rita Ora has resurfaced following Rita’s emotional tribute to her pal at the MTV Emas on Sunday
The 33-year-old pop star hosted the awards show at Co-op Live in Manchester and gave a heartfelt speech to honour the former One Direction singer who died in October aged 31
The unearthed video comes after broke down in tears at the awards as she said: ‘I just want to take a moment to remember someone 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.
‘Liam Payne was one of the kindest people that I knew. He had the biggest heart and was always the first person to offer help in any way that he could.
‘He brought so much joy to every room he walked into and he left such a mark on the world.’
Breaking down she added: ‘So let’s just take a moment to remember our friend Liam…’
Rita previously admitted to being ‘devastated’ by Liam’s passing.
The singer took to social media in October to pay tribute to Liam, sweetly saying that he had ‘the kindest soul’.
Rita wrote on X: ‘I’m devastated [broken-heart emoji] He had the kindest soul, I will never forget.
The pair collaborated on the 2018 single For You and it’s clear to see how strong their friendship was as they larked around in the behind-the-scenes that is doing the rounds on social media
They are joined by other music producers and are seen singing into a microphone while the song played in the background
Liam was seen chilling out in the recording studio alongside Rita
Rita larked about during the fun recording session
Rita – who collaborated with Liam on the 2018 single ‘For You’ – broke down in tears as she said: ‘I just want to take a moment to remember someone very, very dear to us’ (seen in 2018 together)
She added: ‘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’
Rita previously admitted to being ‘devastated’ by Liam’s passing. The singer took to social media in October to pay tribute to Liam, observing that he had ‘the kindest soul’
‘I loved working with him so much – he was just such a joy to be around on and off stage.
‘This tragic news breaks my heart. Sending all my love and prayers to his family and loved ones. Our song For You takes on a whole new meaning for me now. R.I.P [dove emoji] (sic)’
Rita recently paid tribute to Liam during a concert in Osaka, Japan. The singer became visibly emotional as she performed a rendition of their hit single.
Liam fell 45ft from the third floor into the courtyard of the Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires last month.
Following news of his death Rita said: ‘He had the kindest soul, I will never forget. I loved working with him so much – he was just such a joy to be around on and off stage’
She shared this sweet image of them together as she paid tribute last month
Buenos Aires police said in a statement that Payne fell from the third floor of the Casa Sur Hotel in the trendy Palermo neighborhood of Argentina’s capital, resulting in ‘extremely serious injuries.’
Payne was in Buenos Aires to attend the concert of his former One Direction bandmate Niall Horan.
Payne was one of five band members of One Direction, which formed in 2010 when they each auditioned for the British singing competition series The X Factor.
After each singer failed to make it through the competition as solo acts, Simon Cowell and his fellow judges combined Payne, Horan, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson into what would become one of the most successful boy bands.
The band became known for their pop sound and romantic hits like What Makes You Beautiful.
They had six Top 10 hits on the Billboard charts by the time they disbanded in 2016. They had a loyal fan base, many of whom were teen girls, who became known as ‘Directioners.’
Payne had a seven-year-old son, Bear Grey Payne, with his former girlfriend, the musician Cheryl who was known as Cheryl Cole when she performed with Girls Aloud.
She was an The X Factor judge during One Direction’s season.
He is also survived by his parents, Geoff and Karen Payne, and his two older sisters, Ruth and Nicola.