Payne twice appeared as a solo auditionee on the British television series The X Factor in 2008 and 2010; in the latter, he was invited to join One Direction alongside fellow contestants, placing third and later achieving global success.

[21] Payne was introduced to the world of show business at the age of 12, as a member of the Pink Productions Theatre Company, appearing as Tony Manero from Saturday Night Fever.

[21][23] Payne auditioned for the fifth series of The X Factor in 2008, at 14 years old, in front of judges Simon Cowell, Cheryl Cole, Dannii Minogue and Louis Walsh.

[25] Payne returned to the show in 2010 for the seventh series, auditioning in front of Cowell, Cole, Walsh and guest judge Natalie Imbruglia.

During the boot camp stage of the competition, Payne, along with Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik, were put together to form a five-piece boy band called One Direction, to compete in the "Groups" category.

[37] The albums spawned a string of successful singles, including "Live While We're Young", "Little Things", "Best Song Ever", "Story of My Life", "Drag Me Down" and "History".

[9] His debut solo single "Strip That Down", featuring Quavo and co-written with Ed Sheeran and Steve Mac, was released on 19 May 2017.

[80] Payne released the song "Stack It Up", featuring American rapper A Boogie wit da Hoodie, on 18 September 2019.

The collection, which mainly consists of men's wardrobes, includes polo shirts, T-shirts, shorts, hoodies, sweatpants and a pair of sneakers.

[128] Payne teamed up with motorsport star Eddie Jordan in support of UK based charity CLIC Sargent.

[137] Payne co-hosted a charity ball in honour of Believe in Magic, an organisation that supported terminally ill children, with bandmate Louis Tomlinson.

[170] In early October 2024,[171] Payne and his girlfriend Kate Cassidy travelled to Argentina to renew his United States O visa at the US embassy in Buenos Aires and to attend Horan's The Show: Live on Tour concert at the city's Movistar Arena.

[175] A fan told reporters that Payne had approached them on 16 October and had appeared sober and discussed with them at length his time in Buenos Aires and his appreciation of the area.

"[177][178][179] Later that day, Payne died after falling from a third-floor balcony at the CasaSur hotel in the Palermo neighbourhood of Buenos Aires, at the age of 31.

[180][185] The emergency medical team that arrived at the hotel reported a "cranial fracture and extremely serious injuries" that led to Payne's immediate death.

[184][187] Pablo Policicchio, communications director for the Buenos Aires Security Ministry, stated that Payne "had jumped from the balcony of his room".

[188] The forensic experts later reported that Payne "did not adopt a reflexive posture to protect himself" and that he "could have fallen in a state of semi or total unconsciousness".

[189][190] According to Argentine journalist Paula Varela, citing unreleased CCTV footage, Payne accidentally fell to his death after fainting on the balcony.

[201][202] On the night of 23 October, a week after Payne's fall, Buenos Aires police raided the CasaSur Hotel, seeking documents and other information.

[203][204] On 7 November, prosecutors said that post-mortem toxicological exams on Payne showed "traces of alcohol, cocaine and a prescribed antidepressant" prior to his death.

[208] His former partner Cheryl issued a public request for consideration and dignity, fearing their son could potentially access "the abhorrent reports and media exploitation" around his father's death later in life.

[216] A number of public figures, including Sharon Osbourne, Rebecca Ferguson, and Bruce Springsteen, raised concerns about the music industry, media, and adolescent fame in their commemorations.

[217][218][219] Musician Robbie Williams, relating Payne's struggles to his own, made a plea for compassion, saying, "We don't know what's going on in people's lives".

[224] UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer released a statement mourning Payne and mentioning One Direction's "huge impact on many millions of fans around the world".

[233] American tabloid website TMZ obtained photographs of Payne's corpse and published cropped images that showed his arm and waist.

[234][235] Their decision to publish the photos was criticised by a number of fans and public figures, prompting the outlet to remove the images.

[237] Former BBC newsreader Michael Buerk accused the corporation of excessive coverage of the death, and was criticised for referring to Payne as a "drugged up, faded, boy band singer".

[238] Shortly after his death, fans of the singer and One Direction gathered outside the hotel in Buenos Aires before breaking into applause as the van carrying Payne's body was driven away.

Written notes were left at London's Hard Rock Cafe where the telephone box featured on the cover art of Take Me Home is on display.

[252][253] Ora paid tribute to Payne at the 2024 MTV Europe Music Awards, calling him "one of the kindest people that [she] knew".