Liam Payne and Justin Bieber friendship – embarrassing meet, chart feud and ‘disease’

Liam Payne was open about the pressures of fame, and once shared that it was something he talked about with Justin Bieber.

The One Direction boys were thought to be feuding with US star Justin after they went up against each other in the charts a few years back. But it seems Liam – who died aged 31 on Wednesday (October 16) after falling from the balcony of a hotel in Buenos Aires – actually ended up having something of a bromance with Justin.

They bonded over pop star life, and Liam once said in an interview that Justin was a “great guy” with “a really good heart”.

READ MORE: Liam Payne’s final hours – ‘erratic’ behaviour, smashed-up room and frantic 911 call

Click for more brilliant Daily Star showbiz stories

We have a look back and remember their friendship, from their first meeting to the chart beef and the deep chat that made them friends.

Liam found fame on The X Factor, and Konnie Huq, who was a presenter on The Xtra Factor, has remembered the first time the singer met Justin.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, she said: “I do remember we had Justin Bieber on the show, and Liam sort of had the same hairstyle, bore a striking resemblance, and so we got him to come on the show. He was really embarrassed to meet Justin.

In 2015, One Direction and Justin released albums – Made In The AM and Purpose – on the same day. Justin poked fun at the situation by posting a snap on social media that showed him pulling a face as he quipped: “That face you make when you come out with an album on the same day as Justin Bieber.”

It sparked rumours of a battle between the band and the solo star, but Liam later put all that chat to rest. He told the Mirror: “Me and Justin had a really long chat once in his trailer. There had been 1D and Justin Bieber beef at the time. I went in to say to him, ‘It’s all good. You don’t need to do whatever’.

“And then we had a really long chat, and he’s a really nice kid,” he added.

Liam has also shown what he thinks of Justin by covering his music in the past.

In 2022, he performed a set at a private venue in London, treating the crowd to some of his own hits. He also added in an acoustic version of Justin’s Love Yourself during the intimate show.

Swapping numbers

Liam once said that he gave Justin his number in case the superstar ever wanted to chat to someone who understood what life could be like for people in their position.

He told Rollacoaster magazine: “He’s a great guy – inside there’s a really good heart. I said, ‘Look, the difference between me and you is I had four different boys going through the same thing to look to.’

“He didn’t have that. I said to him, ‘Take my number and any time you want a chat, let me know as I’m here and I understand exactly what you’re going through and I understand your world’.

”

He said: “I was like, ‘Dude, I’ve always felt for you.’ I said, ‘Number one, I’ve done all the things that you’ve done and I’ve never been caught for any of them. So that’s number one. Number two, I’ve always really felt for you might and I think in our situation, we all suffer from the same disease’.”

He went on: “When I look at my boys and I turn left and right, I’ve got someone who’s going through exactly what I’ve gone through. I know in your camp, you’re you and there’s no one like you so you can’t turn around and have that shoulder and he was like, ‘Bro, that’s giving me chills.’ And we became friends from that day.”