Nicole Scherzinger was part of the X Factor judging panel that put Liam Payne into One Direction.

Liam Payne was texting Nicole Scherzinger, who mentored him on The X Factor, on the day he died. Photo: Instagram/nicolescherzinger

Liam Payne was texting Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger on the day the One Direction singer died. Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, who is currently working with Nicole on the Broadway musical Sunset Blvd, shared the surprising information during an interview with Billboard.

The composer spoke about Nicole’s relationship with the late singer, saying, “I suppose something that hasn’t been said, and I suppose I could say, is that of course she mentored Liam, from One Direction.”

“On the Wednesday when he died, she was still texting him that day.”

Nicole learned of Liam’s tragic death right before having to go onstage and perform in the production.

“She’d just heard that he died,” Webber said. “And the fact that she even did the show at all is extraordinary. I mean she is an amazing, amazing woman. She is without any question one of the finest performers I’ve ever worked with.”

Liam with Simon Cowell and Nicole Scherzinger. Photo: Getty
Nicole and Liam first met in 2010, when she was a judge on The X Factor UK, she was part of the team of judges who put Liam with his One Direction bandmates, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Zayn Malik.

It was actually Nicole’s idea to put the boyband together, rather than eliminating the boys from the show.

“They’re just too talented to get rid of and they’ve got just the right look and the right charisma on stage,” she said at the time. “I think they’ll be really great in a boy band together.”

Nicole added, “They’re like little stars. You can’t get rid of little stars. You put them all together.”

The group went on to reach incredible success, and they all have Nicole to thank.

Nicole Scherzinger shares tribute to Liam Payne

Nicole shared a tribute to her friend Liam on Friday. Photo: Getty

Nicole took to Instagram on Friday to share a heartbreaking tribute to Liam, who she recently worked with on the forthcoming Netflix series Building the Band.

“Dear Liam, I will forever cherish and treasure the time we shared together, from fifteen years ago when One Direction was born, right up until just a few weeks ago,” Nicole wrote. “It was such a blessing to get to work with you recently. We shared the same love and passion for music and I will forever remember the meaningful and joyful conversations we had.

“It’s been so hard to process that you’re no longer here, but I am grateful to have known your kind heart, sweet soul and character.”

She finished by saying, “You brought so much joy, light, and laughter to the lives of those that truly knew you. I will ‘miss you’ my friend and carry you in my heart. My thoughts and prayers are with your family.”

Liam Payne’s cause of death announced as police treat death as ‘suspicious’

Liam’s death is being treated as suspicious. Photo: Getty
Before Liam’s shock death, the manager from Casa Sur Hotel called emergency services claiming they had a “guest who is overwhelmed with drugs and alcohol” before saying, “He’s destroying the entire room and, well, we need you to send someone, please.”

Alberto Crescenti, head of the Buenos Aires’ public emergency medical services later revealed Liam fell around “14 metres”.

Liam’s cause of death was a result of multiple injuries sustained in the fall, which led to “internal and external haemorrhaging”, and a fractured skull.

“According to the emergency medical team sent to the scene he had a fracture in the base of his skull, extremely serious injuries,” Crescenti said, saying that Liam was dead when paramedics arrived on scene.

“Our role was to head there quickly, give medical attention, and try to resuscitate him, but his injuries were incompatible with life.”

Police have not yet released further conclusive evidence regarding the circumstances of Liam’s fall, and tests are now taking place to see if the singer had consumed drugs and alcohol. Police have said they found Liam’s room in “complete disarray”, with prosecutors saying on Thursday that they were treating the case as a “suspicious death” due to evidence collected on the scene that indicated Liam was going through “some kind of substance abuse outbreak” at the time of his death.

The Argentine public prosecutor’s office said: “Everything indicates that the musician was alone” when the fall occurred.