Netflix to feature Liam Payne in new show despite singer’s tragic death

Liam Payne is set to make a posthumous appearance in a new Netflix series dropping this year, and we imagine there won’t be a dry eye in the house when it premieres.

Payne tragically died after falling from a balcony at the hotel CasaSur in Buenos Aires, Argentina, last October, with a UK inquest earlier this month confirming that his cause of death was ‘polytrauma’, which refers to multiple traumatic injuries.

The hotel’s manager, a receptionist, and a friend of Payne have been charged with manslaughter, while a hotel employee and waiter were charged with supplying cocaine.

Before his untimely death, Payne was involved in a new Netflix music series that was filmed in summer 2024.

Payne passed away last October (Instagram/@liampayne)

It’s now been confirmed that the show will land at some point this year, having been included in the streamer’s 2025 slate.

The programme, named Building the Band, will see talented singers brought together for a ‘truly unique competition show where building the perfect band is all about chemistry’, Netflix teased in its synopsis.

"The singers are in complete control as they seek to form their very own bands in individual ‘booths’ without ever seeing each other,” it added, saying all they have to go on is 'musical compatibility, connection, chemistry and merit’.

“What will happen when the bands finally meet, and looks, choreography, and style come into play? With incredible performances, compelling drama, and one big goal - to find the next great music band - the stage is set for an unforgettable experience.”

According to The Hollywood Reporter (THR), the ‘shiny floor studio show’ was shot in the UK last summer.

The outlet says Payne served as part of the judging panel alongside Nicole Scherzinger and Kelly Rowland, with the format seeing musicians compete for a role in the band.

The new series is due out this year (Instagram/@nicolescherzinger)

“While they rehearsed together, they never saw one another until they performed in front of a live audience,” THR explained.

We don't have a specific release date yet, but we do know it will arrive on the streamer at some point this year.

Fans are already bracing themselves for a poignant watch, with one tweeting: "How are we supposed to watch this? We’ll see him laughing and having fun on the show, and we’ll be drowning in tears over this unfairness, over his absence. even writing this is making me cry."

Someone else said: "I can’t wait to see him, cause that was the last project he did before his passing, I just know I'll be bawling my eyes out."