Liam Payne’s friend Ben Winston faces emotional challenge at Grammys
Ben Winston, the producer of the Grammys, found it tough to assemble the In Memoriam segment which includes Liam Payne.
The Grammys boss was a close friend of Liam’s and had collaborated with One Direction on several music videos. He admitted it was heartbreaking to choose clips of Liam to include among other musicians who had passed away in the past year.
Ben told The Sun on Sunday’s Bizarre column: “It is a very difficult time. Losing Liam was very, very tough. No doubt about it. But, no, there will be no One Direction performance.”
He added: “He was the most beautiful, wonderful boy and I love him very, very much. He is in, of course, our ‘in memoriam’, without question. And actually that is a very sad thing for me – when you are going through rehearsals and seeing the clips and a guy that was sat in this office four weeks before that tragedy happened.
“Seeing him up on that screen is not something that I would ever have imagined. It is extra sad for people – not just me who loved Liam, but for many,” reports the Mirror.
Last year, Liam died aged 31 after falling from a balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina. His father, Geoff, was able to bring his body back to the UK, and he was laid to rest in Amersham on November 20.
While Ben quashed rumours of a One Direction performance at tonight’s event, it was reported that a poignant tribute might reunite Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan in honour of Liam at the upcoming BRIT Awards on March 1.
A source told the press: “The tribute to Liam at this year’s awards show has caused a real buzz and speculation that the remaining One Direction bandmates could finally come back together again on stage.
“It would be an entirely fitting way to honour Liam and talks are already under way about how to make this segment of the BRITs unforgettable.”
Additionally, they hinted at potential collaborations, noting that other artists may join the One Direction stars on stage. With seven BRIT Awards to their name since their inception on The X Factor in 2010, the band remains a significant fixture at the ceremony.
A show insider expressed that Liam had a deep affection for the BRITs, remarking that he “loved” the event and pointing out his indelible mark on its legacy, mentioning he will “forever be part of the show’s history.”
Delving further into preparations, the insider revealed: “It’s still in the very early stages of preparation and the finer details are still being worked out, with official approaches to be made in coming weeks. But there are set to be a mixture of performances, tasteful photo and video montages and a live orchestra.”
