Liam Payne walked onto The X Factor stage in 2010 with a full-bodied side fringe, signature to the era, to audition with Michael Bublé's cover of 'Cry Me A River'. Having first auditioned two years prior and been turned away at judge's houses, when he returned at the age of 16 he was ready to become a star.
A few weeks later he was rejected as a solo artist but invited to be part of a new boyband, later to be called One Direction. It's impossible for any of the band's members, Liam, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan, to have known what was to come next.
Despite finishing in third place, they quickly (and easily) became the most famous and successful act in the show's history – and one of the best-selling boybands of all time. From 2010 to 2016, they dominated the charts, built a cult following around the world and each became household names. It's a level of success some can only dream of, but not one many are able to sustain or cope with. As Liam's tragic death on 16 October, at the age of 31, has come to prove.
According to reports, Liam died after falling from the third floor of a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Police say they were called to the hotel after reports of an 'aggressive man who may have been under the effects of drugs and alcohol'. In the hotel room where Liam was staying, staff said they found 'total disorder' including 'various items broken'.
They said this included several packets of medication, including Clonazepam, as well as over-the-counter medications. Even under these circumstances, he was denied privacy, with images of his body and his hotel room circulating on social media hours after his death.
It is currently thought that Liam was alone when he died. An investigation into exactly what happened could take a number of days.
Understandably, the news has broken the hearts of his friends, family and fans around the world. Tributes have poured in from far and wide, and many people are using Liam's death as an opportunity to consider his legacy.
A legacy that began with his second first audition in 2010. He stepped out in a white t-shirt and jeans to sing in front of Simon Cowell, the future mother of his son Cheryl, Louis Walsh and Natalie Imbruglia, as well as a live audience for the first time. His performance was met with a standing ovation from Simon and rapturous applause.
It was certainly a moment that changed his life – and one that ultimately led to his demise too. Child stardom is a fierce and unforgiving business, forcing people without fully developed prefrontal cortexes into unrelenting fame. At best, it allows you to enjoy a successful career at the cost of your private life and means you are often treated as an icon instead of a human being.
At worst, it can lead you down a path of self-doubt and self-destruction, inviting harmful influences and habits along the way.
Liam has openly struggled with addiction in the past and at the time of his death he was facing a lawsuit from his ex-fiancé, Maya Henry, who accused him of alleged psychological harassment and bullying. It's clear that – regardless of his wrongdoings or his erratic presence on social media and during press interviews – Liam was a troubled soul.
For many, looking back at his first auditions in 2008 and 2010 serve as evidence of the damaging effects of child fame. It is painful and upsetting to know that he ultimately did not survive them. As we await more information surrounding the events that led to his death, it's perhaps time to consider the part we all played in the events that led to his success. It's not the dream anyone thought it would be.
Nikki Peach is a writer at Grazia UK, working across pop culture, TV and news. She has also written for the i, i-D and the New Statesman Media Group and covers all things TV for Grazia (treating high and lowbrow shows with equal respect).