Netflix viewers have been moved to tears by the touching tribute to Liam Payne at the start of his final onscreen appearance in Building the Band.
The late One Direction star – who died aged 31 in Argentina last October – posthumously appears in Netflix’s new singing reality competition show as a guest judge.
The series is hosted by Backstreet Boys icon AJ McLean and Payne is joined in the judging panel by Nicole Scherzinger and Kelly Rowland as 50 music artists battle it out in individual sound booths to form the ultimate band. Think Love Is Blind meets The X Factor.
All 10 episodes have just landed on the streaming platform with fans wondering how exactly the show would address the unexpected death of the Teardrops hitmaker.
Especially after reports that there were plans to cut down on Payne’s presence in the show.
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At the start of the first episode, McLean addresses the audience with a powerful message.
‘When we came together to film building the band we never imagined we’d soon be saying goodbye to our friend Liam Payne,’ he begins as it fades out to a series of images and clips of the singer on the show.
McLean continues: ‘Liam is a guest judge in later episodes and through his presence we see his deep love for music and his unwavering commitment to helping others find their voice.
‘It’s through that spirit that we dedicate this series to Liam and his family.’
The bittersweet message then comes to an end as we launch straight into the episode.
Fans are now sharing how much the season-opening dedication has meant to them.
‘5 seconds in and I’m already sobbing. The tribute to Liam,’ maryam wrote on X.
‘Omg!! A tribute, I’m crying already, Liam, you’re loved so much,’ BrisLiam shared.
‘Just started Building The Band on Netflix but didn’t think I would cry at the first second when they talked about Liam, it will be so hard to watch it knowing he is not here anymore,’ Jo echoed.
‘I am genuinely not ready to see him on my screen,’ Lizzie2031843 added.
OT5loveupdate called it ‘such a beautiful dedication’ and Liamssunsetter shared a heartbreak emoji.
In an interview with Hollywood Reporter last month, McLean described the new series as ‘unlike any other show out there’.
The I Want it That Way charttopper then spoke about looking back on the show since Payne’s death.
‘It was a little hard to watch because I hadn’t seen it until now,’ he explained. ‘I just know that the way he is being remembered and honoured is hopefully done as beautiful as we see it.
‘And we got the ok from his family and I hope that the fans get to remember him the way that he was which is just a light, a genuine spirit.
‘He wore his heart on his sleeve, he’s stupidly talented, funny as all hell, had a great sense of humour and just a joy to work with. This is just a great, positive way for the world to remember him.’
Executive producer Cat Lawson added that ‘we all loved [Liam] and he was amazing in the show.’
His death deeply impacted the Building the Band team who had all grown close with one another.
‘You get to know people really quickly [on these shows] and he was a glorious person,’ she said.
Building The Band is available to stream on Netflix now.
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