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One Direction was back in the headlines as the former surviving band members (Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles, Niall Horan, and Zayn Malik) were in England attending the funeral of Liam Payne. Payne passed away in October, after falling off a hotel balcony in Argentina.
Throughout the boys' time in the band and their solo careers, one man looked after them: Paul Higgins, their former bodyguard. Higgins was spotted at Payne's funeral on November 20 which sparked questions from fans over whether he was with the musician at the time of his passing.
Here is everything to know about Higgins' career and his connection to One Direction.
Westlife
Before taking over as the bodyguard for One Direction, Higgins, 51, looked after the boys from Westlife -- an Irish boyband that were popular during the early aughts. "My job is the safety of the group at all times," he told Sunday World, admitting that it was a "horrendously stressful" job. "You go to your hotel bedroom and your head is scrunched up like a prune from constantly watching, watching, watching them."
"There is always danger about, particularly in clubs where people are drinking," Higgins added. "A boyfriend might get jealous because his girl is looking at them. And then there are girls who just want a piece of them."
One Direction
Higgins was the bodyguard and the official tour manager for One Direction, most notably for the band's 2014 Where We Are tour, according to Grazia Daily UK. Given his experience with other bands, he was the perfect person to assist the boys when they were at their peak of fame.
Higgins also was close with all five members. In 2011, when he got married to his wife Clodagh Higgins, the boys from One Direction attended their wedding. Later in 2014, Higgins stepped down from his position as One Direction's tour manager and bodyguard, allegedly over a disagreement with Zayn Malik at the time, according to The Mirror.
Liam Payne
When One Direction announced their 2015 separation, Higgins became Payne's bodyguard. During this time, the two traveled quite a bit together. Last year, Higgins posted a photo with Payne in Saudi Arabia to his Instagram. "Hanging out with the boss @liampayne in Riyadh. What an experience we've just had," Higgins captioned the post.
Although Higgins was not with the musician at the time of his passing in Argentina, he was close with Payne's father, Geoff Payne, and accompanied him to the hotel where the singer had been staying. Following the news, Higgins has also been working with local law enforcement to find what led up to Payne's passing.
While Higgins has not shared anything directly, his team did release a statement in October: "At this time Paul has no further comment. Like the family Paul is, himself, grieving and coming to terms with everything that has happened this week."
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