Following the tragic death of One Direction star Liam Payne in October, his friends, family and fans around the world have been in disbelief. Liam died at the age of 31 after falling from the third floor of his hotel in Buenos Aires.
Three people have since been charged in connection with Liam's death for supplying narcotics and the abandonment of a person followed by death. According to toxicology reports, the singer had traces of alcohol, cocaine, and a prescription antidepressant in his body.
As such, there is a growing interest in the those closest to the singer, as well as speculation about who was with him before he died.
While he is in no way implicated in the charges in connection with Liam's death and was not in Argentina when he died, Google Trends shows that Paul Higgins, Liam's bodyguard, is now subject to extensive breakout searches by the public.
Who is Paul Higgins?
Paul Higgins, not to be confused with the Scottish Line of Duty and The Thick Of It actor, is the founding director of All Star Security and was Liam's bodyguard for several years. He is from County Wicklow in Ireland and reportedly now lives in County Tyrone.
According to his website, Paul has been well known in the security industry for more than 20 years. He has experience in security provision, personal protection and the complexities of effective security service co-ordination and has had several clients in the world of music, entertainment and touring including Liam, Niall Horan and Yungblud.
Prior to working with One Direction, Paul was security chief for Westlife and previously said 'it can be horrendously stressful'. He told Sunday World, 'My job is the safety of the group at all times. You go to your hotel bedroom and your head is scrunched up like a prune from constantly watching, watching, watching them.
'There is always danger about, particularly in clubs where people are drinking. A boyfriend might get jealous because his girl is looking at them. And then there are girls who just want a piece of them.'
Paul then became the tour manager for One Direction and oversaw the band's highest-grossing tour, Where We Are, in 2014. When the group disbanded he became Liam's personal bodyguard and has remained close with the Payne family.
How long did Paul Higgins work with Liam Payne?
Paul was Liam's personal bodyguard for several years. In October last year, he posted a photo them relaxing on a trip to Saudi Arabia for the Tyson Fury and Ngannou fight. Paul wrote, 'Hanging out with the boss @liampayne in Riyadh. What an experience we’ve just had…'
While he was not with Liam in Argentina or working with him when he died, Paul shared a tribute to his friend on Instagram with the caption 'protected now and in the arms of our Lord'.
He also flew to Argentina with Liam's father Geoff Payne to visit the Casa Sur Palermo hotel where the One Direction star was staying. Apparently, Paul has been working with law enforcement in Argentina to establish the circumstances that led to Liam's death.
Is Paul Higgins friends with Liam Payne's dad, Geoff?
Yes, Paul supported Geoff during his trip to Buenos Aires where they identified Liam's body and began the process of having him returned to the UK. Paul told Sunday World he was 'devastated by it all'.
During the visit, Paul was seen visiting Liam's hotel room, questioning several hotel staffers and accompanying Geoff as he read tributes to fans who had gathered to pay their respects.
Paul is also widely loved by One Direction fans, many of whom have commented on his social media accounts to thank him for flying to Buenos Aires with Liam's father.
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).