Simon Cowell's brother has revealed the former X Factor judge met up with Liam Payne just months before his tragic death last week (16 October).
Tony, who is one of Simon's four brothers opened up about his younger sibling's friendship with the former One Direction star and even revealed details of one of the last times the pair met up.
In an interview with Closer magazine he revealed one of the last times that Simon and Liam saw each other: 'We are devastated. I feel for Simon, too. He met with Liam a few months ago, when Liam took Bear to see him at his house in the Cotswolds, and Bear played with his son, Eric".
And, while Tony said that the rest of the former boy band had drifted from the music boss down the years, he said: "Liam was determined to gain Simon's approval [on The X Factor]. He desperately wanted to please him."
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PA)Liam had initially auditioned for X-Factor two years before finding fame with One Direction; missing out on the final rounds of the competition when he was eliminated at the Judges' Houses stage. But, his second time on the show proved to be life changing, after entering as a solo artist, judges Simon Cowell, Nicole Scherzinger and Louis Walsh later grouped him with fellow contestants Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik, who would later go on to be called One Direction.
After the 31-year-old tragically died following a fall from the third floor balcony of a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina last week, Simon joined fellow stars around the world in expressing his 'devastation' at his passing.
After cancelling Britain's Got Talent auditions last Thursday (17 October) following the former One Direction star's death, Simon took to Instagram to pay his respects: "You never really know how you feel about someone until a moment like this happens,"
"Liam, I am truly devastated. Heartbroken. And I feel empty. And I want you to know how much love and respect I have for you. Every tear I have shed is a memory of you."
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