Simon Cowell reacts to Liam Payne death with drastic ITV Britain’s Got Talent decision as singer dies aged 31

Simon Cowell has reportedly cancelled Thursday’s Britain’s Got Talent auditions in Blackpool following the death of Liam Payne.

The One Direction singer died at the age of 31 on Wednesday after falling from a third-floor hotel room in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Cowell was instrumental in propelling Payne and his One Direction bandmates to global stardom after forming the group on his ITV show, X Factor.

Ticketing company Applause Store confirmed filming for the upcoming BGT series would be halted.

It said, via The Sun: “Due to the tragic passing of Liam Payne, BGT has decided to postpone today’s auditions in Blackpool. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.”

GB News has contacted BGT for comment.

Filming for the upcoming series began on Tuesday with Ant and Dec returning alongside long-serving judges Cowell, Amanda Holden and Alesha Dixon.

New judge KSI joined the judging panel after filling in for Bruno Tonioli who’s currently filming Dancing with the Stars in the USA.

It has not yet been confirmed when filming will resume.

Payne’s death was announced by local police in Buenos Aires on Wednesday evening after officers were called to the singer’s hotel.

Police in Buenos Aires say that officers first arrived at the hotel in response to reports “of an aggressive man who may have been under the effects of drugs and alcohol”.

City ambulance service provider spokesman, Alberto Crescenti, told the media after Payne’s body was discovered: “The alarm was raised at 5:04pm local time saying a person was lying in an internal patio at Casa Sur.

“At 5:11pm an ambulance arrived and the man was certified dead. Afterwards we found out he had been a famous singer. Unfortunately, the injuries he had suffered as a result of the fall proved to be fatal.

“There was no possibility of resuscitating him.”

Tributes from far and wide have flooded in for the 31-year-old following his death, including from former X Factor host Dermot O’Leary and fellow finalists Cher Lloyd and Katie Waissel.

The show’s official Instagram account followed suit on Thursday morning, writing on the social media platform: “We are heartbroken by the sad passing of Liam Payne.

“He was immensely talented and, as part of One Direction, Liam will leave a lasting legacy on the music industry and fans around the world.

“Our thoughts are with his friends, family and all who loved him.”