Liam Payne's best friend was amongst mourners at his funeral today.
The late 31-year tragically fell to his death from the balcony of his third floor hotel room in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on October 16 The star died after suffering multiple traumas leading to an "internal and external haemorrhage". Andy Samuels, who had been friends with Liam since the early days of his One Direction career was joined by his wife at the funeral held today in Amersham, Buckinghamshire.
Liam was laid to rest in the quiet town, northwest of Central London, a place close to his heart as he resided nearby following his split from Cheryl Tweedy. Andy, 32, was joined by his wife as he attended St Mary's Church in the quaint village. The model and DJ slicked his hair back into a man bun, while wearing a pair of sunglasses under the gaze of the winter sun.
Three days after Liam's tragic death on October 16, Andy took to social media and said there were "no words" to describe his heartbreak. In view of his 268,000 followers on the photo sharing platform, he shared a throwback snap of himself and Liam as they both gazed off into the future.
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Getty Images)"There are no words," he captioned his upload alongside a broken heart emoji. His post which has racked up over 114,000 likes was soon flooded with support as friends and fans rushed to offer their condolences. "I'm so sorry for your loss will never forget your goofy videos you made together and streamed live in hotel rooms," said one.
A second added: "SO much love your way. I’m so incredibly sorry for your loss. My box is bigger than your box forever and always." "You were one of the first people I thought of. I'm so sorry," commented another.
In 2013, Andy was left with burns to his body when a fire broke out on the former One Direction star's balcony. At the time, he had friends over at his luxury Canary Wharf apartment but things went wrong went Andy tried to fill up the gas patio heater. A month after the incident, Andy revealed Liam tried to stop the raging fire with his bare hands.
He said to the Mirror that he was convinced the singer's quick-thinking saved his life. Andy, who was 21 at the time, was rushed to hospital after his whole body caught alight as he tried to fill a patio heater with gas. He spent two weeks in hospital and had seven skin grafts while doctors treated him for third-degree burns.
"I can still see Liam trying to put out the flames with his hands," he said. "I was set completely on fire – terror is the only word fit to describe what I was feeling. The pain and the panic I felt is something no one should have to go through. I was the one that was injured, but it was a crazy, horrible experience for Liam to witness as well."
An onlooker passing by the funeral told the Mirror: "Liam's former One Direction bandmates stood shoulder to shoulder, their grief clear, as they exchanged quiet words and comforting embraces. Simon Cowell, his face still etched with sorrow, was seen consoling Liam’s friend and family, offering no doubt heartfelt words amid the shared pain."
Liam's former bandmates Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, and Zayn Malik attended the service. Other celebrities paying their respects to Liam included Kimberly Walsh, Nicola Roberts, Robbie Keane, Marvin Humes and his wife Rochelle. Liam's girlfriend Kate Cassidy also attended his funeral with the support of Damien Hurley. Kate and Liam had been dating for two years.
Cheryl Tweedy was seen arriving at the funeral. Speaking after Liam's death, Cheryl said she will "make sure" her son Bear knows all about his late father Liam. The Girls Aloud star was in a high-profile relationship with Liam between 2016 and 2018. She said in a devastating statement on Instagram that their son has to "face the reality of never seeing his father again".
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