Rita Ora has paid tribute to Liam Payne after his shock death at the age of 31 following a balcony fall in Buenos Aires, Argentina last month.
Ora, 33, appeared on stage at the star-studded 2024 MTV EMAs when she got emotional when talking about the late singer, who she collaborated with on the song For You with.
“I just want to take a moment to remember someone very, very dear to us,” she began in her speech.
Watch the video above.
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“We lost him recently and he was a big part of the MTV world and my world. Liam Payne was one of the kindest people that I knew.
“He brought so much joy to every room he walked into and he left such a mark on the world.”
She added that the One Direction star “had the biggest heart and was always the first person to offer help in any way that he could”.
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“So let’s take a moment to remember our friend, Liam.”
A video montage then played to cheers from the audience, alongside one of Payne’s songs.
It comes after Ora broke down at her recent concert in Japan following Payne’s death, when performing their song, For You.
In a fan video, Ora, 33, struggled to sing the song as she became emotional, before sitting down on stage and holding her hands to her face.
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“I can’t even sing this right now,” she said, before encouraging fans to sing.
She also shared as sweet tribute to Payne, saying she was “devastated”.
“I’m devastated 💔 He had the kindest soul, I will never forget,” Ora wrote in her Instagram tribute underneath a series of pictures of the pair together.
“I loved working with him so much – he was just such a joy to be around on and off stage. This tragic news breaks my heart.”
“Sending all my love and prayers to his family and loved ones. Our song For You takes on a whole new meaning for me now. R.I.P 🕊️.”
The former One Direction star died after falling from the third floor of his hotel room in Buenos Aires, Argentina, according to state police, as reported by CNN.
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