Little Mix star Perrie Edwards has expressed her disbelief and heartbreak over the tragic death of former One Direction star Liam Payne. The 31-year-old singer fell from the third-floor balcony of the Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, earlier this month.

Perrie, who, like Liam found fame on the X Factor, dated the singer’s bandmate, Zayn Malik. She has also spoken openly about her own struggles with anxiety, with Liam’s battle with mental health well-documented. Now, the Little Mix star has opened up about the singer’s tragic death, saying the music industry needs to do more to protect its young talent.

Following the tragic news of Liam’s death, the singer’s ex, Cheryl, hit out at the “abhorrent” reports by gossip sites. Liam’s fans also blasted TMZ, which shared distressing images of his body after his death. The One Direction star died instantly after his fall on October 16, with a police report stating his catastrophic injuries were “incompatible with life”.

Shortly after heartbreaking news, the American gossip site published images of Liam after he fell, claiming that they made the decision in order to identify the Wolverhampton-born star, before the police confirmed his identity. Fans were furious for the intrusion, however, despite the criticism, TMZ executive producer Michael Babcock said there “was balance”.

Speaking on Fearne Cotton’s Happy Place podcast Perrie described Liam’s death as “weird” and “absolutely devastating”. She told Fearne: “I think it just feels weird, it’s just so sad. It’s so heartbreaking, and my heart honestly hurts for his family, his friends, Cheryl (Tweedy, the mother of Liam’s son Bear, seven), his little boy. It’s just absolutely devastating, and I can’t even imagine how they must be feeling right now.

“I didn’t think it was real when I read it, and it’s a very weird space, and I think it’s in the air, everyone can feel it, it’s really sad. Us girls were messaging, and I think Leigh-Anne (Pinnock, fellow Little Mix member) was like, ‘it’s very close to home’, our careers were very aligned.

“We had a relationship with them (One Direction), and it’s honestly so sad, like it made my body feel weird when I saw the headlines, I was like that can’t be real. It shakes you up, it’s just blooming awful, and all of our hearts go out to his family. It’s an unthinkable thing to have to go through.”

Fearne, 43, inquired about the “cost of fame” on Perrie’s life, to which the South Shields-born songstress confessed fame had been her success’s “dark side” She continued: “Success is completely different to fame, and I think success is lovely, it’s joyful, it’s like you’re doing what you love and you’re benefiting from it, and you get all these lovely things, and it feels great.

“But then the fame is like the awful side of it, it’s like the dark side of it that I think people don’t really see. I was like, I want to be a famous pop star, I want to sign autographs, and everybody to know who I am, and I want to be a household name.

“But you don’t think of the things that come with that, and it’s hard, and it’s really intense, but I think that’s why I try and surround myself with as many people as I can, that just make me feel good when I’m feeling crap. My therapist bless her, I bring her with me to work sometimes, because I literally can’t cope with the panic attacks and stuff.”

Rising to stardom in Little Mix with Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Jade Thirlwall, and Jesy Nelson, Edwards experienced swift fame after the group’s formation on ITV’s show and subsequent victory, marking them as the first girl band to snatch the title.

The band, which consists of Pinnock, Edwards and Thirlwall, is currently on a break. They have enjoyed five UK number one singles and seven UK top 10 albums to their name. However, Nelson departed the group in 2020 due to mental health issues. This year, Edwards launched her solo career with singles Forget About Us, Tears and You Go Your Way, and she’s gearing up for the release of her debut solo album.

*If you are struggling with mental health, you can speak to a trained advisor from Mind mental health charity on 0300 123 3393 or email info@mind.org.uk