Liam Payne dead: Former SAS soldier Ant Middleton reacts to One Direction star’s death

Former SAS soldier Ant Middleton has paid tribute to his “good friend and confidant” Liam Payne after he was told about the news of the singer’s shock death live on TV.

The former One Direction star star reportedly fell from a third-floor balcony at the CasaSur Palmero Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, shortly after 5pm on Wednesday evening, local time.

The 31-year-old was confirmed dead by Alberto Crescenti, the head of the city’s emergency service and police are investigating the incident.

Middleton appeared on Channel 7’s The Morning Show to talk about his new documentary K2 Killer Mountain when presenters broke the tragic news to him.

He revealed he had recently spoken to Payne and was almost lost for words.

“Yeah I speak to Liam quite often, he’s a good friend of mine and I’m shocked. This is obviously the first time I’m hearing of it,” he said.

“And wow I don’t know what to say about that, I’ll make sure to reach out to relevant people and find out what’s happened to my good friend.”

Fans across the globe knew him as a performer with fellow boy band stars Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Zayn Malik, but Middleton knew him as a “confidant”.

Payne appeared on the British adventurer’s 2019 series Straight Talking with Ant Middleton where he was the first celebrity guest on the show.

“We formed a brotherhood...he was like a younger brother to me, he’d confide in me, I’d go round and see him, there were some issues there but nothing that a young celebrity at his calibre wouldn’t suffer from,” he said.

“I’m shocked at the moment really.

“He had a lovely aura around him, positive energy, he was a visionary, he always thought and dreamed big that’s why he got to where he was, he was loved.

“He’s one of those band members...he was the glue I believe for One Direction, it’s shame to see such a positive individual die so young.”

Fans are gathering and emergency services can be seen outside the hotel, where a red tent is set up around the scene.

According to La Nacion the local police station was called by the hotel manager who reported “an aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol”.

The fall was reportedly 13m to 14m and Payne suffered “very serious injuries incompatible with life”.

A statement from the local emergency service SAME (El Sistema de Atención Médica de Emergencias) televised in Argentina said: “At 17.04, through 911, the integrated public security system, we were alerted about a person who was in an internal courtyard of the Casa Sur hotel.

“At 17.11, a SAME team arrived and confirmed the man’s death. We later learned that he was a singer in a musical group.

“Unfortunately, he had injuries incompatible with life as a result of his fall, so we had to confirm his death. There was no possibility of resuscitation.”

On October 2, Payne was spotted at former bandmate Horan’s concert in Buenos Aires.

Payne is father to a seven-year-old son, Bear, whom he shares with singer Cheryl Cole.