The Netflix show opens immediately with a tribute to the late singer by host AJ McLean, and it serves as one of many emotional tributes to Payne that have come after his death. He addresses the fact that the show was filmed before Payne passed away in October,

AJ McLean revealed he kept a recording of his final conversation with his late 'Building the Band' costar Liam Payne. "I've not deleted it. I've kept it on my phone as a constant reminder of who he was.

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.

Netflix made a major change to Liam Payne's final TV role as the show opens with a tribute to the late One Direction singer

Liam Payne's final project is being released posthumously next month – and it's a return to his musical roots.. Netflix's "Building the Band," set to premiere July 9, sees the former One ...