Liam Payne’s Last Appearance On ‘Building the Band’ Showed The Late Singer At His Best

THE RUNDOWN:

• The final three episodes of the reality show Building The Band have been released. In them, Liam Payne appears as a guest judge
• Liam Payne died after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, less than two months after the final episode was filmed
• His mentorship of the aspiring boy band Midnight ’til Morning provides several touching moments where the late singer reflects on his time with One Direction.
• You can watch Building The Band on Netflix in Australia

Last night, Netflix released the final episodes of its reality series Building the Band, airing on 23 July 2025, with an episode that unwittingly captured one of late One Direction singer Liam Payne’s final public appearances.

Filmed in late August 2024, just under two months before the singer died in Buenos Aires, the episode features Liam Payne as a guest judge mentoring the aspiring boy band Midnight ‘til Morning.

Netflix had teased the episode with a clip of Payne dancing to “What Makes You Beautiful” with the audience, but the full episode is even sweeter as he shares wisdom with the young members of Midnight ‘til Morning.

In the episode, the members of Midnight ‘til Morning find themselves struggling to click as a team and feeling awkward about dancing. “We were amazing dancers, obviously, in One Direction,” Payne joked reassuringly before providing critique and encouragement.

Band member Mason Watts shared that his family had one ticket to sit front row at a One Direction concert when he was 11. “Ever since that moment, I wanted to be in a group,” Watts, who is originally from Australia, said. “It’s kind of a full circle moment to be here with a group and performing in front of you. So, thank you, man.”

Payne said repeatedly throughout the show that he had a soft spot for the boy band, and the feeling was mutual. “Having a One Direction boy there, I want him to see the potential that we have the most because he’s who we connect with the most.” said Conor Smith of Midnight ‘til Morning.

Payne later walked into their rehearsal room and gave them a pep talk, reminding them of the importance of audiences seeing them as a cohesive group.

“You’re all going to be on separate stages this week. But I need to feel that connection between you guys. And you need to make that stage your own,” said Payne.

“This is your week to really sell it to the room. Do it together, look at each other, reference each other, but then also just be bigger,” the late artist told the band, which also includes members Mason Watts, Shane Appell, and Zach Newbould. “I’ve got a soft spot for you guys. Don’t let me down.”

When the band performed a cover of Post Malone’s ‘Circles’, Payne was moved. “You remind me a lot of what we were when we were on the show,” he said, referring to the UK’s The X Factor, the series One Direction formed on in 2010.

“It’s been tough for you guys because there’s a lot of strong singers on this show that have got a lot of tricks, a lot of trills, a lot going on and a lot of choreography and it’s hard. But the energy in here tonight is the happiest I’ve seen you guys,” he said. “You look like you’re loving what you’re doing and the relationship between all of you was perfect. It was really nice to spend time with you guys earlier and you did everything perfect.”

Liam Payne died in Buenos Aires on 16 October 2024, after falling from a hotel balcony — about seven weeks after filming wrapped in late August 2024. Payne’s family reviewed the Netflix series before it went to air and decided to proceed with the show. His fellow judges were left in shock and have reflected on working with the late singer.

Where Can You Watch Building The Band In Australia? 

Building the Band was released on Netflix on July 9 2025.

Building The Band Judges Pay Tribute To Liam Payne 

Image: Netflix Liam Payne with fellow judges Kelly Rowland and Nicole Scherzinger

Liam Payne was a guest judge on the final episodes of Building the Band, and his family reviewed the episodes before they were released. 

Backstreet Boys singer AJ McLean shared a heartfelt tribute to Payne.

 “When we came together to film Building the Band, we never imagined we’d soon be saying goodbye to our friend Liam Payne. It’s through that spirit that we dedicate this series to Liam and his family.” He also described Payne as “witty” and “hilarious” in an interview with Page Six. “[He was] an absolute dream… lit up every room that he walked into.” 

Nicole Scherzinger told Billboard that the show brought Payne a lot of joy. “I saw the joy it brought to Liam, I felt that this was his happy place,” the former member of The Pussycat Dolls said. “To be able to bestow any inspiration, knowledge, wisdom, and experience on these contestants and bands brought us all joy. Particularly Liam… Liam [had] such a beautiful heart, and he loved to give back. He loved to help.”

“His intuition was so spot on,” former Destiny’s Child star Kelly Rowland told Page Six. “We’re gonna miss him,” she lamented. “And that’s why we dedicated this whole space to him because he was one of the masters of creating this space for everybody to just be great.”

Where To Watch Building The Band In Australia

Building the Band can be streamed on Netflix in Australia.

What Is Building The Band About? 

Building the Band is Netflix reality music competition that flips the usual talent show formula on its head. Borrowing from dating shows like Love Is Blind, the show sees 50  solo vocalists begin inside individual sound booths, hearing – but never seeing – one another as they pick teammates and form six brand-new groups based purely on chemistry and voice. 

Once the “blind” bands are revealed, the contestants move in together, rehearse, and face weekly live showcases under the mentorship of Backstreet Boy‑turned‑host AJ McLean and a judging panel of Nicole Scherzinger, Destiny’s Child alum Kelly Rowland and the late One Direction star Liam Payne, to whom the season is dedicated. Netflix Ten episodes chart the journey from first note to finale, with the winning act claiming a A$500 000 cash prize and, more importantly, a global Netflix spotlight.

How Many Episodes of Building The Band Is Liam Payne In? 

Liam Payne was a guest judge and appeared in the three final episodes of Building the Band. 

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