Simon Cowell is looking back on one of the most painful moments of his life — Liam Payne‘s death.
During an episode of The New York Times‘ podcast The Interview on Saturday, the record executive revealed how he learned about the One Direction alum’s passing. He said:
“Somebody who works with me very closely came into my room. I was up in the north of England, and I could tell by the look of her face that she was upset. She said, ‘Sit down,’ and she told me. And it was like — wow.”
Related: Simon Cowell Addresses Suggestions He’s To Blame For Liam Payne’s Death
Simon struggled to describe how he felt at the time, but he said it felt similar to when he learned his father died:
“It was a bit like I felt when I heard the news when my dad passed away. It’s very difficult to put into words how you feel. It’s just shock. At that point, you’re not really thinking clearly.”
And all the former American Idol judge wanted to do was call Liam’s parents:
“I just remember saying: ‘I really need to speak to his mum and dad. Can you get them on the phone as soon as possible please?’ Because, God, as a parent, what that must have felt like. I knew his mum and dad, and I wanted to reach out, just to say how I felt. It was just awful, awful.”
Mainly, it came as a major shock to him because he thought Liam was doing well. Simon went on to share that he met with the singer a year before his death and thought he looked “amazing.” The X-Factor alum recalled:
“I’d seen him like a year before in this room. I remember seeing him walk into this room and saying: ‘God, you look amazing, Liam. What have you done?’ ‘Well, I’m going to the gym’ and blah, blah, blah.”
Simon said they then talked about Liam’s son Bear, whom he shares with ex Cheryl Cole:
“We talked about his son and how much it means to be a dad. And I was talking to him about there’s more to life than just music; you’ve got to a point in your life where you’ve got choice now, etc. We just hung out as friends. That’s why I was so shocked and surprised when I heard the news.”
We can’t imagine how hard Liam’s death must have been for him. Watch Simon talk about the tragedy (below):
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[Image via MEGA/WENN, The Interview/YouTube]
