Revealed: The Huge Cuts Netflix Are Set to Make to Liam Payne's 'Building the Band' Talent Search Show to 'Protect Family and Stop Fan Backlash' In Wake of Tragic One Direction Star's Drug-Crazed Balcony Plunge Death
Liam Payne's scenes in new Netflix talent show Building The Band are to lie on the cutting room floor.
Feb. 24 2025, Published 12:29 p.m. ET
Scenes featuring late Liam Payne in new talent show series Building The Band are set to be drastically cut back.
RadarOnline.com can reveal Netflix bosses are trying to find a way the singer can remain as a "presence" in the final edit of the show when it drops on the streaming service later this year – but not be on screen so much his family and friends can claim it is exploiting his tragic demise for entertainment.
Payne filmed Building The Band in the U.K. months before he died in tragic circumstances in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in October.
Execs fear showing Payne extensively on the show could also be seen as insensitive or in poor taste, which may spark a backlash from viewers and rabid 1D fans.
A source said: "The feeling among execs at Netflix is that they want to err on the side of caution, and if that means having Liam in the least amount of scenes possible then that's the step they're willing to take.
"They want to strike the right balance between having him feature in the show, doing the thing he loved, with having him feature too much, which would be a lot for his loved ones to contend with.
"Discussions are ongoing with Liam's family, and their views are a crucial consideration for Netflix.
"But fans may be surprised by how little he ends up featuring in the finished series.
"The one option they probably don't have is to remove him entirely from the show, even if they wanted to, because he's an intrinsic part of the process the boy bands go through on the series."
Payne signed up to be a guest judge on the contest and filmed his section in the U.K. last year, just months before he died in tragic circumstances in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in October.
Payne joined fellow singers Nicole Scherzinger, left, and Kelly Rowland, right, as judges with AJ McLean, center, hosting the upcoming show.
He joined Nicole Scherzinger and Kelly Rowland on the panel of the show hosted by Backstreet Boys singer AJ Maclean.
Netflix billed the eventas : "One big goal: to find the next great music band".
Those close to Payne's family were surprised that Netflix confirmed in January Building The Band would air later this year.
They thought they'd have a final say on the show and that discussions were ongoing, but bosses had pressed ahead with the airing before being given the green light by Payne's loved ones.
An insider added: "They spoke with Liam's family as they didn’t want to progress the project without taking their feelings into consideration.
"The family got the sense that this was a celebration of Liam, an image of positivity.
"He was doing what he did best as a true boyband star.
"But they hadn't given it a final stamp of approval and as far as they were concerned were still discussing what the show would look like.
"So they were surprised by the announcement."
Payne's family have held ongoing discussions with Netflix regarding the final edit of the talent hunt series, which airs later this year.
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RadarOnline.com this month revealed the value of Payne's property firm has been slashed by a whopping $2million – as he is officially removed from One Direction's music empire.
Payne's name has been struck from the list of directors of 1D Media Ltd, the firm that takes in cash from streams, royalties and record sales of the band.
An insider told us: "It is worrying that there has been such a big drop in the value of his assets so soon after his death. It makes you wonder how things are being managed."
