James Corden looked sombre as he arrived for Liam Payne’s funeral on Wednesday afternoon.
Liam died aged 31 on October 16 after falling from the third-floor balcony of a hotel in the Argentine capital Buenos Aires.
His close pal actor and presenter James, 46, was among many stars who came to show their support as he was laid to rest.
His One Direction bandmates Harry Styles, 30, Niall Horan, 31, Zayn Malik, 31, and Louis Tomlinson, 32, were also seen walking into the church for what is their first public meeting as a group since their last concert in 2015.
A church source said a choir and musicians will perform at the service, which began at 1pm.
James Corden looked sombre as he arrived for Liam Payne’s funeral on Wednesday afternoon
His close pal actor and presenter James, 46, was among many stars who came to show their support
Liam died aged 31 on October 16 after falling from the third-floor balcony of a hotel in the Argentine capital Buenos Aires (seen with James in 2017)
One of the floral displays near the church showed bowling pins and a ball – a nod to his love of bowling, which his girlfriend Kate Cassidy said he did four times a week.
After his death James paid tribute to Liam saying: ‘Talking about Liam in the past tense is utterly heartbreaking.
‘He was such a loving and kind soul. I will treasure the moments I got to spend with him. My thoughts are with his family today x.’
Liam had appeared on The Late Late Show as a guest with Corden in 2020, and also took part in his Carpool Karaoke segment.
The funeral’s location has been a closely guarded secret, and local residents only realised it was taking place when ‘no parking’ signs were erected around the church.
Two traffic enforcement officers patrolled the area handing out tickets to any drivers ignoring the signs.
Payne travelled to Argentina in September where he watched former bandmate Niall Horan perform and also saw his close friend Rogelio ‘Roger’ Nores. He had extended his stay to renew his visa to live in the US when the tragedy occurred.
The entrance of the church which is hosting the service has been decorated with candle lanterns and white roses that have been arranged in surrounding shrubbery.
After his death James paid tribute to Liam saying: ‘Talking about Liam in the past tense is utterly heartbreaking’
Liam had appeared on The Late Late Show as a guest with Corden in 2020, and also took part in his Carpool Karaoke segment
He looked sombre as he arrived for the funeral
He wore a smart black suit as he arrived
One source told The Sun: ‘His family have gone to great lengths to put together the perfect service and give him the send off he deserves.
‘Liam may have been a global superstar but to Geoff and Karen he will always be their little boy. It is going to be an incredibly difficult day.’
In a joint statement released following Payne’s death, Tomlinson, Malik, Horan, and Styles said they were ‘completely devastated.’
‘In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say,’ they said.
‘But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly.
‘The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever. For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends, and the fans who loved him alongside us.
‘We will miss him terribly. We love you Liam – Louis, Zayn, Niall and Harry.’
Tomlinson, Styles and Malik all later released separate tributes.
James and Liam are seen in 2017 together
Read the full article here
