The former 'X Factor' judge and One Direction co-creator shared an emotional tribute on social media Simon Cowell is paying tribute to Liam Payne after the One Direction singer's death at age 31. Payne was pronounced dead after falling multiple stories at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires,

Liam Payne and Simon Cowell shared a close bond and Liam was always asking his mentor for advice - they also enjoyed playdates with their kids

The globally successful band that included Payne, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Zayn Malik were first formed on Cowell's reality show, 'The X-Factor', in 2010.