Heartwarming reason why Adrian Chiles wore football coat to Liam Payne's funeral
Yesterday, a stream of stars flocked down to the Home Counties for the funeral service of One Direction star Liam Payne.
Among them was TV presenter Adrian Chiles, who appeared in the crowds donning a hefty football coat, leaving some spectators confused.
Payne tragically died in the Argentine capital of Buenos Aires last month (16 October) after falling from the third floor balcony of his hotel.
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The 31-year-old had been attending the South American tour of his ex-band mate Niall Horan at the time, and was staying in the city centre with his US model girlfriend, Kate Cassidy.
Witnesses claimed that, on the day of his death, the father-of-one - who shares seven-year-old son Bear with ex-girlfriend Cheryl Tweedy - had been displaying 'aggressive' behaviour, and 'may have been under the effects of drugs and alcohol'.
And in the following days, a post-mortem report found that 'internal and external haemorrhaging' from injuries sustained from the fall had sadly killed the musician.
Tributes from fans and friends flooded in over the weeks that followed - including from each of his One Direction bandmates Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson.
The group were also among those to attend Payne's funeral yesterday (20 November) following a delay in his body being released from Argentina to the UK.
The event was also attended by the likes of his former manager Simon Cowell, presenter pal James Corden, former partner Cheryl and their son, girlfriend Kate, and ex-ITV Sport host, Adrian Chiles.
The latter's appearance sparked curiosity among fans, many of whom were unaware that Chiles and Payne had a friendship.
The colossal football coat that 57-year-old Chiles wore to the event also became a talking point online, with many unsure why he'd opt for such casual outerwear.
It turns out, however, that his jacket served as a sweet tribute to Payne, with the pair having previously bonded over their adoration of West Bromwich Albion.
Wolverhampton-born Payne was a renowned football fan and Hawthorns ticket holder.
Chiles previously spoke about how the sport brought he and Payne together. "I got to know him when he first did X Factor," he told press.
"He came up to me and said 'up the Albion' - he was a West Brom fan.
"Just as a sign as to how massive he was, I remember we snuck him into a Boxing Day game and I think his mum and dad came and sat with me."
He went on: "But we managed to secrete our man up in the commentary gantry so he didn't get bothered. Then a friend of mine texted me to ask 'why are West Brom trending number one on Twitter?'.
"I went, ‘well it could be because Liam Payne is here and he tweeted he was here and the whole world went mad for it.'"
Following his death, the official football club also shared a tribute to the star.
West Brom penned on Twitter at the time: "We’re shocked and saddened to learn of the passing of Baggies fan and musician Liam Payne.
"Our thoughts are with Liam’s family, friends and loved ones at this tragic time."
Topics: Liam Payne, Celebrity, UK News, Music
Rhianna Benson