An Argentinian TV crew is facing severe backlash after being accused of insensitively filming inside the cemetery where the body of Liam Payne was being held - only hours following his repatriation back to the UK.
The Argentine show 'Socios del espectáculo' broadcast live from the British Cemetery in Buenos Aires, where the late One Direction star temporarily lay before his journey back to the UK earlier today, the Mirror reports.
The tragic 31-year-old died on October 16 following a fatal fall from his hotel room's third-floor balcony, resulting in multiple injuries and "internal and external haemorrhage".
In the interim before being transported to his homeland, Liam’s remains were kept in Argentina for three weeks while post-mortem examinations were conducted, followed by embalming procedures, subsequently releasing him for repatriation.
A male host from Argentina TV's 'Socios del espectáculo' conducted filming outside the British Cemetery, then proceeded inside - footage which the Record has deliberately chosen not to publish.
The TV station boasted about having been given "exclusive access" to the site where Liam had lain since last Friday. The presenter horrifyingly described scenes claiming Liam's body was still present within the chapel premises as he walked through it.
Despite the tasteless reporting, the anchor later informed viewers that Liam's funeral will be attended by numerous high-profile individuals from the music and entertainment industry, reflecting his international fame as he stepped inside the building.
However, the Cementerio Británico de Buenos Aires, when contacted by the Mirror, confirmed that the late singer's body was not present when filming began.
They exclusively stated: "The coffin was here 5 days, time needed to prepare everything for the travel to England. In the video you can see our chapel and the place where the coffin was. This video was recorded 6 hours after the coffin was transported to the airport."
Fans of Liam have expressed their anger over the broadcast, with one commenting: "How could they film inside the funerarium? ? ! ! ! ! " "Damn they are real disrespectful," vented another.
A third added: "Why is his coffin on the news? ? ? ! ! give the man some respect and let him rest in peace! " It's anticipated that Liam's funeral will take place in the next few days, with an announcement expected from the Payne family.
A source told the Daily Mail: "Liam will have a very big send off, quite probably at a large cathedral somewhere close to his heart. Liam was so loved by so many people, there will obviously be enormous demand and so the service will necessarily be a huge affair. The details are still under wraps until they are definitively signed off but should be announced very soon."
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