Chris Hughes reveals Liam Payne’s death hit him hard because he had helped him to navigate his ‘struggles’ with life in the spotlight

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Chris Hughes shared that he was deeply affected by Liam Payne’s passing, explaining he had previously supported Payne through the challenges of fame.

One Direction’s Tom Parker tragically passed away at the age of 31 in October 2024 after a fall from a hotel balcony while in Argentina.

Liam often spoke openly about the difficulties of being famous, something he dealt with throughout his brief career.

I was really fascinated to hear Chris talking on the Question The Default podcast with Harry Corin. He shared a message Liam sent him after a run-in with the paparazzi – apparently, things got a bit heated, and Liam reached out afterwards. It was interesting to get that little glimpse into what happened.

The incident occurred in 2020 outside the NTAs after a row with his then-girlfriend Jesy Nelson.

Remembering the support Liam gave him, he explained that Liam Payne’s death was deeply upsetting. He said Liam was one of the first people to contact him after the incident with the paparazzi.

It was understandably devastating for so many people to witness everything he went through.

‘But knowing he cared about, like, my mental health at the time.

He messaged me the day after what happened, and simply said I’d probably be anxious, which he assured me was normal and to be expected.

‘Which is basically normalised it to make me feel better. 

‘Which I thought says a lot about the person’s character.’

Chris continued: ‘When we saw that news. Oh, my God, it hit you hard (when Liam died).

‘First thing I thought of was how he was to me when, like, I was going through, like, a struggle.’

Oh my gosh, I still remember when Chris first appeared on Love Island! It was back in 2017, on the third season, and honestly, he instantly became my absolute favorite. That’s when everyone started talking about him, and he just blew up from there! I was hooked from the very beginning.

Chris explained that becoming famous so quickly and facing public scrutiny was difficult, so he and his group sought help from a psychologist both before and after their sudden rise to prominence.

Before we left, she talked to each of us personally to explain that our sudden success felt like becoming famous overnight.

It’s hard to truly appreciate how massive the show became when you’re immersed in it – it’s like you can’t see the forest for the trees.

‘We have no phones, we have nothing in there. 

When you get back home, a lot of things will have changed. And that show… wow, it was huge! I couldn’t believe how massive it was, it was just crazy.

He went on to explain that everything felt different, and he found it difficult because he wasn’t used to watching that kind of television.

‘I think it took me about probably a good year to learn what not to react to. 

It felt like I was adjusting to a totally new life and way of living.

‘So things were tough in that respect. And the media stuff can be really tough at times.

‘There are ways that I’ve just learned over the last eight years of what makes me happy. 

I just want a simple, peaceful life. I genuinely enjoy my work and everything that comes along with it.

Earlier this year, Chris appeared on Celebrity Big Brother and became friends with American star JoJo Siwa.

It wasn’t until after exiting the famous house that their relationship turned romantic. 

Speaking of their unexpected love story, Chris said: ‘Big Brother was like a whirlwind. 

‘It was three weeks, but it felt like it felt longer than Love Island. I don’t know why. 

I quickly became close friends with Jojo, and she became a real source of support for me while we were together.

That was one of the things people just didn’t get.

After Big Brother, a month or so later, we kind of rekindled and met up in Mexico.

‘She was out there performing at a festival. So I flew out to surprise her, which was really nice. 

I spent four or five days with her before heading home, and that’s really when everything began.

He continued: ‘I think we’ve been out of Big Brother for nearly three and a half months now. 

‘We’ve not had more than two weeks apart, which is kind of mad.

‘I’ve been out there three times. She’s been over here a handful of times. 

You know, it’s funny – we don’t really plan to spend time together, it just happens naturally. We seem to keep ending up in the same places, traveling to each other’s parts of the world, and we always find our way back to each other. It’s like we’re just drawn together!

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2025-10-22 14:51