One Direction: global fame but Payne's star dims

London – Liam Payne, who died aged 31 after plunging from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, spent more than half his life in the public eye as a member of one of the world's most successful boy bands.

The singer from Wolverhampton in central England was first unsuccessful in his audition on the hugely popular television talent show, The X Factor.

But he hit gold on the programme in 2010, aged just 16, joining Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik - and One Direction was born.

Over the next six years, the group enjoyed global fame and legions of screaming fans, selling more than 70 million copies of their five albums. They went on four world tours and won nearly 200 awards.