Adrian Chiles was spotted among the many mourners at Liam Payne’s poignant funeral service on Wednesday 20 November. The former One Direction heartthrob, who tragically passed away in Buenos Aires on 16 October at the tender age of 31, was honoured at a church in the Home Counties, with celebrities and fans alike coming together to bid farewell.
BBC presenter Adrian, known for his love of football, donned a West Bromwich Albion coat over his suit as he paid his respects, reflecting on the bond he shared with Liam over their mutual support for the Midlands football club. He reminisced about their connection to the BBC: “I got to know him when he first did X Factor. He came up to me and said, ‘Up the Albion.’ He was a West Brom fan.”
Adrian recalled how Liam’s fame once caused a stir during a football match: “Just as a sign as to how massive he was, I remember we snuck him into a Boxing Day game and I think his mum and dad came and sat with me. But we managed to secrete our man up in the commentary gantry so he didn’t get bothered.”
He continued, “Then a friend of mine texted me to ask ‘why are West Brom trending number one on Twitter?’ I went, ‘Well, it could be because Liam Payne is here and he tweeted he was here and the whole world went mad for it.'”
horse-drawn carriage carrying the coffin of Liam Payne arrived for the funeral service on Wednesday 20 November
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In their statement, they said: “We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing. In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say.”
“But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly. The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever. For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends, and the fans who loved him alongside us.”
