EXCLUSIVE: Liam Payne was adored by millions before his tragic death – but whenever I met him, as Editor of a top teen pop mag – he was just like any other naive young boy
Running towards me like over-excited puppies, One Direction were brimming with happiness and the thought of what lay ahead of them. It was early 2011 and they'd just come third on The X Factor , behind winner Matt Cardle and Rebecca Ferguson in second place. But everyone knew they were the standout stars of the show – and as editor of a popular teen pop magazine, my postbag and email inbox was already full of excited messages from fans.
Liam instantly stood out to me – for not standing out at all. Of course they were all good-looking lads, but once the initial excitement wore off that day, Liam was quieter than the others, less sure of himself, more shy.
This quietly composed little boy was standing on the brink of fame that he could never, ever have imagined. In the short years that followed, One Direction went on to become one of the world's biggest boy bands, releasing five studio albums and embarking on fourth mammoth world tours, the final one grossing an eye-watering $208 million.
Matt Cardle Rebecca Ferguson One Direction The X Factor
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