Simon Cowell stands firm: ‘I can’t feel guilty’ about Liam Payne’s fate

English TV personality Simon Cowell has spoken with heartbreaking honesty as he revealed why he refuses to feel “guilt” over Liam Payne’s death.

The 66-year-old star recently told the Daily Mail that he feels “not guilty,” explaining: “His parents told me music was Liam’s passion. 

His proudest moment was getting through The X Factor the second time. He was immensely proud of what he’d achieved.”

The music mogul also shed light on his first reaction when he learned about the former One Direction star’s tragic fate, while filming Britain’s Got Talent in Blackpool.

For the unversed, Liam, 31, died last year after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina, sparking fierce debate over the pressures of TV talent shows. 

But Simon insists he cannot blame himself for something no one could have foreseen.

“I was in my room when someone who works with me came in. As soon as I saw her face, I knew. Nothing has affected me like that since losing my mum and dad. I couldn’t believe it,” he recalled.

He immediately contacted Liam’s devastated parents. “They were in pieces. I was in pieces. I just said, ‘We’ve got to be there for each other.’”

Struggling to cope, Simon withdrew from his fiancée Lauren Silverman and their son Eric, 11.

A year on, the pain is still raw, but he says he honours Liam by remembering his pride, passion and talent.

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