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Niall Horan made a triumphant return to the stage this weekend, much to the surprise of fans—especially since it wasn’t even his gig.
The Irish pop star and boyband heartthrob hasn’t performed live in 10 months, having wrapped up his The Show world tour in Bogota, Colombia, last autumn before embarking on a hiatus.
That same month, Niall and his One Direction bandmates – Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik – were left heartbroken when Liam Payne died at the tender age of 31.
Niall had spent time with Payne just weeks earlier when the Strip That Down hitmaker attended his concert in Argentina, not long before his fatal fall from a hotel balcony on October 16.
Having taken some time away from the music scene following his late friend’s funeral, Niall, 31, came back with a bang last night, stepping out onto a stage he’s performed countless times: London’s O2 Arena.
He was a special guest for long-time friend and fellow music superstar Shawn Mendes, 27, who brought his On The Road Again tour to the capital.
Celebrating hits from his decade in the industry, the Grammy-nominated Canadian songwriter was met with deafening screams upon introducing Niall to the crowd.
Teasing Niall’s arrival, Shawn began on the mic: ‘I met this fella years and years ago; I was probably 16 or 17.
‘I came into this industry, and I was terrified of everything and everyone. We talk a lot of s**t, but this man has been an older brother to me.’
He declared sweetly: ‘I love him with all my heart. Please welcome Niall Horan.’
Naturally, the packed venue went wild, as footage later shared to Shawn’s Instagram captured.
Fans immediately burst into tears, jumped up and down, and shook their heads in disbelief as the Slow Hands vocalist made his way out, guitar in hand, of course.
‘I’ll remember this for a long time ❤️ Thank you so much London x’, Shawn’s caption read, with Niall commenting a red heart also.
Together, they performed Niall’s debut solo single, This Town, which was released after 1D’s sabbatical began in 2016.
Thanking the crowd before leaving the stage, Niall professed his love for Shawn and said: ‘Take care, everyone.’
As the video of the wholesome moment began doing the rounds online, fans were quick to express their excitement and plead with the celebrity pals for a proper collaboration.
‘Best duo ever 🤍. We need a collab please? ❤️🙏’, @niallxupdates_ commented on Instagram.
‘OMG! Niall and Shawn together 😍🔥 So beautiful!’, wrote @rashelhemmings.
‘I didn’t even realize how much I missed his voice. 💖’, added Niall fan @_fatbirdsinging.
@xoanyushka joked: ‘i had the most normal reaction to this (i screamed)’.
This is not the first time Niall and Shawn have duetted as, during Niall’s lat tour, Shawn made a surprise appearance for a joint rendition of his hit Treat You Better.
Meanwhile, today, Niall supporters further shared their pride at seeing him back where he belongs following his loss.
Following Payne’s shocking death, his bandmates all released devastating statements in tribute, with Niall taking to social media to say what had happened didn’t ‘feel real’.
‘Liam had an energy for life and a passion for work that was infectious,’ he wrote. ‘He was the brightest in every room and always made everyone feel happy and secure.
‘All the laughs we had over the years, sometimes about the simplest of things, keep coming to mind through the sadness. We got to live out our wildest dreams together and I will cherish every moment we had forever.
‘The bond and friendship we had doesn’t happen often in a lifetime.’
Niall went on to send his condolences to Payne’s young son, Bear, whom he shared with pop star Cheryl, and the star’s family.
‘I feel so fortunate that I got to see him recently,’ he concluded. ‘I sadly didn’t know that after saying goodbye and hugging him that evening, I would be saying goodbye forever. It’s heartbreaking.’
Niall sweetly signed off: ‘Thank you for everything, Payno.’
As well as his parents and two sisters, Payne is survived by his girlfriend, Kate Cassidy.
The circumstances surrounding his death have been investigated intently by police in recent months, resulting in five individuals being arrested in connection, among whom were a friend of Payne, the hotel manager, two employees, and a waiter.
After months of proceedings, the latest is that three have been acquitted and two remain under suspicion.
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