The tragic death of Liam Payne has led a leading songwriter to say under-18s should not be allowed to join pop bands.
The One Direction star fell to his death from a hotel balcony in Argentina on Wednesday. He was aged just 31.
Now, Guy Chambers has joined forces with other industry figures to call for change in the aftermath of the tragedy. The songwriter and close pal of Robbie Williams says those under 18 years of age shouldn't be pushed into pop stardom.
He explained how putting young teens into an adult-filled industry could be "potentially damaging" for them. He went on to admit he feels his friend Robbie experienced this during his rise to fame with Take That in the 1990s.
Image:
Getty Images)Speaking to the Observer, he said "I do think putting a 16-year-old in an adult world like that is potentially really damaging. Robbie experienced that, certainly."
He added: "I have four children, so I think about this a lot. I know in Robbie's case, with Take That, there wasn't any proper protection set up to look after what were teenage boys. That was a long time ago, but I don't see much sign of change. There is not much more real care taken, that I have observed, from people involved in the big television talent shows."
Guy's words come as over 17,000 people have so far signed a petition to safeguard artists in the wake of Liam's death. The campaign is calling for government intervention to ensure the mental wellbeing of performers. This includes regular mental health check-ups, designated rest periods and ongoing support throughout their careers. The tragic death of Liam Payne, who fell from a hotel balcony in Argentina, sparked the petition.
The petition states: "The entertainment industry, acclaimed for its glamour and stardom, is equally infamous for the enormous pressure it exerts on the mental health of artists. Resultant issues such as stress, anxiety, depression, substance misuse and even suicide are alarmingly high."
It adds: "According to research, performers are 2-3 times more likely to suffer from these issues compared to the general population." The petition also urges lawmakers to create legislation that protects the mental health of artists within the industry.
Liam had previously been open about his struggles with mental health. He once revealed he had experienced "severe suicidal thoughts" and was heavily into drugs during his One Direction days. Speaking on the Diary of a CEO podcast in 2021 he said: "There is some stuff that I have definitely never, never spoken about. It was really, really, really severe. It was a problem. And it was only until I saw myself after that I was like, ‘Right, I need to fix myself.'”
He described how he saw pictures of him on a boat when he was “all bloated out.” He labelled this his “pills-and-booze face. "My face was just, like, 10 times more than it is now. I just didn’t like myself very much, and then I made a change.”
In 2019 he had also spoke of turning to alcohol, telling Men's Health Australia he had found fame difficult and had sometimes turned to alcohol as a coping mechanism.
*If you are struggling with mental health, you can speak to a trained advisor from Mind mental health charity on 0300 123 3393 or email info@mind.org.uk
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