Simon Cowell Debated Canceling ‘Next Act’ After Liam Payne Death

Later in the series, Cowell acknowledges that “the pressure, the stress that comes with being in a band is gigantic,” which leads him to meet with the hopefuls for his new boy band to have a candid discussion about fame with them and their parents.

“I lost a friend recently, which has been really, really tough. It’s been s***. And there was a moment, I’m not gonna lie, when I first got the news where I’m like, ‘I’m not sure we should do this,’” he begins his speech. “And then I thought about it, and I remembered the conversations we had, with all of you, when I phoned you. And then I made the decision: I want you to have this opportunity.”

Cowell then opens the floor for questions from the aspiring pop stars and their loved ones, assuring them that nothing is “off-limits.”

After one parent expresses concern about their son entering the spotlight, Cowell assures the group, “They’re going to be looked after. I’ve always prided myself that I do care about people I work with. I mean, genuinely care. And if we’re going to go forward with the boys, it will be with my absolute belief and support.”

Payne died at the age of 31 in October 2024 after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. A toxicology report later revealed that the “Strip That Down” singer had cocaine, alcohol and a prescription antidepressant in his system at the time of his death.

Cowell recently told Us Weekly‘s Just Like Us video series that losing Payne was “not far off” from how he felt after the deaths of his parents.

“I’ve lost friends before, but Liam really hit me hard because I really, really had a close bond with him,” he explained. “He came on my show when he was very young. He came back a second time. I’d seen him a year before he’d passed. We’d spent an afternoon together. We just had the best conversation, and we talked about being dads and everything, and he looked amazing on that day. I genuinely don’t know whether [anything I said] would have made a difference. … He didn’t leave with me going, ‘I’m worried about him.’”

Simon Cowell: The Next Act is now streaming on Netflix.

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