Ed Sheeran is "at a loss for words" following the death of Liam Payne.

The former One Direction star died on Wednesday (16.10.24) at the age of 31 after falling from the balcony of his hotel room in Buenos Aires and now 'Perfect' hitmaker Ed, 33, has taken to social media amid the "heartbreaking situation" to remember him.

On Friday (18.10.24) morning, he wrote on Instagram: "At a loss for words. My thoughts are with his family and loved ones, every memory I have with him is a great one, just such a heartbreaking situation. Be kind. X"

Liam shot to fame in 2010 alongside Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik when they placed third on the UK version of 'The X Factor', and they went on to achieve global chart-topping success as the world's first billion-dollar boyband.

The group went on hiatus in 2016 and Liam went on to have son Bear, seven, with his former partner Cheryl and enjoyed a solo career with his hit single 'Strip That Down' and his only album 'LP1'.

Just over 24 hours after the tragedy, the 'What Makes You Beautiful' singers released a joint statement, admitting to being "devastated by the news of Liam's passing".

They said: "We're completely devastated by the news of Liam's passing. In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say.

"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. (sic)"