RAW REVEAL
‘He lacked a sense of belonging’ says Ant Middleton as he opens up on ‘shock’ of close pal Liam Payne’s death
It came as a host of celeb tributes poured in
LIAM Payne "lacked a sense of belonging" according to close pal Ant Middleton, who has opened up on his "shock" following the popstar's tragic death.
The ex SAS: Who Dares Wins star, 44, formed a close bond with the dad of one, 31, during show Straight Talking, released in 2019.
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Speaking live on Thursday's Good Morning Britain - hours after Liam's sad passing came to light - Ant said he resonated with the state of mind of The X Factor alumni.
He said of his death: "I was just shocked, I was lost for words.
"He was such a positive, outgoing guy who I believe lacked a sense of belonging when he left the band.
"When we did our special together in Namibia I could relate to that.
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"When I left the military, I lost my sense of being, and when he left the band we had a great conversation about how that identity is lost and how we re-identify ourselves and re-establish ourselves.
"And we became very close after that."
Ant, who was on the call via a link to his car in Australia, added: "We built that brotherly bond together.
"He would call me and within an hour we would be at his house and talking through things.
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"But I mean what a loss, what a tragic loss.";
Portsmouth-born Ant, who starred on Channel 4 series Celeb SAS from 2015 to 2021, then told how Liam's face always "lit up" when talking about his son as well as the prospect of a boyband reunion.
Watch as Liam Payne sings at 1D bandmate Niall Horan's concert just days before his death
Celebrity tributes from famous faces have been pouring in for the Wolverhampton star.
TRAGIC PASSING
Liam died in Argentina after reportedly falling from his hotel balcony.
He was in Buenos Aires for pal and fellow 1D star Niall Horan's tour when he tragically plunged from the third floor on Wednesday afternoon.
A source confirmed to The Sun that Liam has died.
Inside Liam Payne and Cheryl's romance
By Joanne Kavanagh
IT was a romance that caused a media storm.
One Direction hunk Liam Payne was in a relationship ship X Factor judge Cheryl.
The pair - who have a ten-year age gap - got together while Cheryl was going through her divorce to second husband Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini at the beginning of 2016.
Despite their age difference they looked completely infatuated with each other when the couple made their red carpet debut at Cannes in May 2016.
Liam even paid a sweet tribute to his girlfriend by getting a tattoo of her eye on his arm.
In 2017, Liam and Cheryl welcomed their baby.
Cheryl posted a picture on Instagram of Liam cradling their 7lb 9oz baby.
She captioned the sweet snap with: "On Wednesday Liam and I became parents to an incredibly beautiful, healthy baby boy looking like a dream."
One pal told The Sun: "Cheryl gave birth to a baby boy on Wednesday, and both are doing well.
"Liam didn't leave Cheryl's side throughout the birth, and like her, he is besotted with their new son and can't wait to take him home.
"This is the perfect Mother's Day for Cheryl."
The Sun revealed in May 2017, that the couple named their son Bear.
They decided on the unusual name after spending a week getting to know him.
Bear adopted his One Direction star dad's surname, so he is called Bear Payne.
A source revealed: "Cheryl and Liam wanted to get to know [their son] before they decided on the name.
"They didn't have the name Bear before the birth.
"But they'd been thinking of a name since meeting him and they just felt it suited him."
In February 2018, The Sun broke the story that Liam's constant travelling to promote his solo career had placed a huge strain on the relationship, and they were ready to split.
That same month, as she shrugged off questions about her crumbling romance with Liam during a BBC Breakfast interview.
They then put on a united front together at the Brit Awards, where they smiled on the red carpet and Cheryl joked about the couple's 'safe word'.
However, by July 2018, Cheryl and Liam made the decision to split.
A pal told The Sun: "Cheryl and Liam worked really hard on their relationship – they had troubles earlier this year and were able to get through them.
"But they're in different stages of their lives and, after a lot of careful thought, came to a decision that it's best for everyone if they do go their separate ways."
Liam and Cheryl then released a statement confirming their break-up.
They posted a message on social media that read: "We are sad to announce that we are going our separate ways. It's been a tough decision for us to make.
"We still have so much love for each other as a family. Bear is our world and we ask that you respect his privacy as we navigate our way through this together."
Liam, who was the dad of seven-year-old Bear, shared a post on Snapchat only minutes before his death and showed him and his girlfriend Kate Cassidy looking into a mirror.
The singer-songwriter was staying at Hotel CasaSur in the neighbourhood of Palermo.
Crowds of heartbroken fans have now gathered behind a cordon outside the accommodation to pay tribute.
Pablo Policicchio, the spokesperson for the security ministry of Buenos Aires, said police were called to the hotel by a worker about an "aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol".
Witnesses at the hotel said Liam smashed his laptop and had to be carried back to his room in the erratic incident earlier in the day, TMZ reports.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
It came after the What Makes You Beautiful hitmaker was seen singing at his pal Niall's concert earlier in the week.
He leaves behind son Bear, aged seven, with Girls Aloud singer Cheryl.
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