Liam Payne's funeral taking place this week as star's body flown back to UK today

The funeral of the late singer Liam Payne is set to take place this week, nearly a month after the tragic death of the One Direction star.

Liam tragically passed away at the age of 31 on October 16 following a fall from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

His funeral, which is expected to occur in the next few days, will likely be a private celebration of the life of the father-of-one, following numerous fan vigils worldwide over recent weeks.

The body of the X Factor star is due to be flown back to the UK today (November 4) "at the latest".

Last week, it was reported that Liam's body had been moved from a Buenos Aires morgue to the historic British Cemetery in the northern part of the Argentinian capital, following permission granted to his heartbroken father Geoff by prosecutors.

Respected Argentinian daily La Nacion reported that Geoff was personally informed in a recent meeting with prosecution chief Andres Madrea that he could return to the UK with Liam's body two weeks after arriving in the South American country following his son's tragic three-storey hotel fall.

It stated: "All the documents are ready for the former One Direction singer to return to his homeland so a funeral can take place there next week. When Geoff Payne reached Argentina on October 18 he was told the repatriation process could take between four and five days, but because of the circumstances surrounding his son's death things took longer than expected."

In the aftermath of Liam's tragic passing, a petition has been launched on Change.org to push for legislation that would protect the mental health of artists in the entertainment industry, reports the Mirror.

The petition, initiated by a fan of Liam, is urging lawmakers to introduce what they're calling "Liam's Law".

This proposed law would require regular mental health check-ups, sufficient rest periods, and the availability of mental health professionals on-set, as well as ongoing support throughout their careers. Liam had previously opened up about his battle with alcoholism at the height of his fame, describing his lowest point during an interview with Steven Bartlett, host of The Diary Of A CEO podcast.

He revealed in 2023 that he had sought help and was now sober. Liam first stepped into the limelight when he auditioned for The X Factor in 2008 at just 14-years-old, performing Frank Sinatra's Fly Me To The Moon.

He returned to the show two years later and was placed in One Direction alongside Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik and Harry Styles. The group went on to become one of the world's most successful boybands.

The post-mortem examination report indicated that Liam passed away due to multiple traumas and "internal and external haemorrhage". The tragedy is currently under investigation by Argentina's National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor's Office No 16, who have labeled it an "inconclusive death".

Liam is survived by his son Bear, seven. He fathered Bear with Girls Aloud star Cheryl Tweedy, with whom he was involved from 2016 to 2018.

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