Netflix’s Building the Band addressed judge Liam Payne’s death at the beginning of the series premiere.
In a message ahead of the first batch of episodes, which premiered on Wednesday, July 9, host AJ McLean issued a statement regarding Payne’s shocking passing.
“When we came together to film Building the Band, we never imagined we would soon be saying goodbye to our friend Liam Payne,” McLean, 47, said. “Liam is a guest judge in later episodes and through his presence, we see his deep love for music and his unwavering commitment to helping others find their voice.”
The message concluded: “It’s through that spirit that we dedicate this series to Liam and his family. ”
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Building the Band follows 50 singers as they form six bands sight unseen and compete for the top spot. Similar to Love Is Blind, the contestants can’t physically see each other, so they rely on the sound of their voices to become a cohesive band.
Filming for the competition show took place in the summer of 2024, with Payne and Kelly Rowland serving as guest judges while Nicole Scherzinger was a judge and mentor. Months after production wrapped on Building the Band, Payne died in October 2024 at the age of 31 after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires.
“I had seen Liam in passing at different things, but this was, like I said, the most quality time spent together. We’re doing 12-to-14-hour days for five weeks straight, and he was just an absolute dream,” McLean exclusively told Us Weekly in June of filming the show before Payne’s death. “We had very similar wits. He had the [drier] British humor, I had the American humor.”
McLean said it was “inspiring” to hear how Payne spoke with “all these different groups” on the show after getting his boy band start with One Direction alongside Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson.
“He was so well-read, articulate and very supportive and positive,” the Backstreet Boys singer shared about Payne. “He would, obviously, find a way to be — I don’t want to say stern — but get his point across in a very constructive manner.”
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McLean also recalled how he and Payne bonded over the “highs and lows” of their respective sobriety journeys.
“I felt like we were almost separated at birth in a sense as artists. He was just an absolute dream to work with, honestly,” he gushed. “I still have the very last conversation we ever had. I haven’t deleted it. I won’t.”
After hearing about Payne’s passing, McLean recalled how he “called [his] sponsor” first.
“All three of us [who were hosts and judges on the show] kind of banded together and kind of talked to each other,” he recalled. “We were kind of being that support for each other.”
The first four episodes of Building the Band are out on Netflix now. New episodes drop the following two weeks on Wednesdays.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
