Netflix’s “Building the Band” paid tribute to Liam Payne during episode 1. Payne, who died at age 31 in October 2024, posthumously appears as a judge on the reality competition series. At the start of the premiere episode, host AJ McLean acknowledged Payne’s death.

Former One Direction star Liam tragically plunged to his death from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires during October, at just 31 years old. Following their two-year romance which ended in 2018, Cheryl was granted joint responsibility for overseeing Liam's £24 million estate alongside an entertainment industry solicitor.