Former X Factor star confesses he understands how Liam Payne ‘spiralled out of control’ in ruthless music industry that encourages you to ‘never show the cracks’

X Factor star Sean Smith has opened up about the tragic passing of Liam Payne as he admitted he can see how the star ‘spiralled out of control’ after being in the music industry. 

The singer, who formed one half of the brother and sister duo Same Difference, appeared on the ITV show back in 2007 and met Liam when he supported them in the early days. 

Liam died aged 31 on October 16 after falling from a third floor balcony at the CasaSur Palermo hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. 

His sudden death has sent shockwaves through the music industry and has highlighted the pressures placed on young popstars who are thrown into the spotlight. 

Speaking to The Sun, Sean admitted drugs are widespread in the industry as explained: ‘You could see how easily you get into that world and that it could spiral out of control.’

Shocked by the news he confessed he thought it was a celebrity death hoax: ‘I couldn’t work out how he got there, he was so talented, grounded and from such a wonderful family that I just couldn’t understand.’

Sean rose to fame, alongside his sister Sarah on The X Factor, when they were put together by producers to form bubblegum pop-group Same Difference. 

Having experienced the feeling of being made to fit the mould of something you’re not, Sean explained he struggled with having the seem ‘perfect’ all the time. 

‘We were told, ‘It’s always sunny in Same Difference world, always”. You always have a big smile while being papped. If you do an interview even if there are cracks you must never show them’.

Sean recalled speaking to Liam on an X Factor tour bus when they were travelling together and the star confessed he had been put through to be in a band, rather than as a solo artist. 

Aged 14, Liam auditioned on X Factor for the first time, where he impressed judges with a soulful rendition of Frank Sinatra’s Fly Me To The Moon.

Speaking before his audition in a thick Wolverhampton accent, Liam made clear his passion for music.

‘I should really be concentrating on my [school] work but I just think about singing too much,’ he said. ‘It’s a dream and I’d love to do it.’

Liam returned two years later in 2010 as Simon Cowell had asked, and initially auditioned as a solo act singing Michael Buble’s Cry Me A River before being given a second chance as part of a group at Bootcamp.

Here he would met his future One Direction bandmates Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson – and despite coming only third in the show they became one of the biggest pop groups in the world.

An autopsy report confirmed Payne died of traumatic brain injuries, after striking the base of his skull on a concrete umbrella base after falling from a third-floor balcony.

Reports at the end of November suggested Liam had antidepressants in his system when he died – and that a psychiatrist had warned she could no longer effectively treat him amid his recurrent crises.

Toxicology analysis revealed Payne had cocaine in his urine, blood, stomach and nasal passages. The antidepressant sertraline, sold in the US as Zoloft, was also present in his system.

Previous reports suggested Payne may have ingested so-called ‘pink cocaine’ – a psychoactive party drug popular in Ibiza made up of ketamine, methamphetamine, MDMA and heroin.

Earlier this week it was revealed Liam called hotel employees ‘all the time’ to ask for alcohol and advice on where he could buy cocaine shortly before he died and offered an escort $5,000 to visit him, a newly unearthed prosecution file has revealed.

In the weeks since his death, police have launched a wide-ranging investigation into his death; five people have been charged, including several hotel staff and Argentinian businessman Roger Nores, who denies being a suspect.

Esteban Grassi, the chief receptionist who is now under formal investigation, claimed Payne called down ‘insistently’ to ask for alcohol, and to ask where he could get cocaine – allegedly insulting a member of staff who said he could not help.

Further to this, text messages purporting to have been exchanged between Liam and an escort in which he offered her $5,000 (£3,900) to ‘party’.