Simon Cowell made his first public appearance since the passing of Liam Payne at the Pride of Britain Awards, where he honored his friend, the late Peter Willis, former Editor of the Mirror. Peter had a remarkable career, leading the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror, and Sunday People, but his most notable achievement was founding the beloved Pride of Britain Awards.
Simon, 65, paid a heartfelt tribute to Peter, who sadly passed away at 54, on stage. Peter, a devoted husband and father of two, spent 23 years at the Mirror, starting in 1997, after working at the Sun, Express, and Star.
His brilliant idea led to the creation of the Pride of Britain Awards in 1999, now celebrating its 25th anniversary. Following his passing, King Charles praised Peter’s “deep compassion” for recognizing the achievements of young people aided by the King’s Trust.
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The King recalled, “Over the many years I knew Peter, I was always struck by his deep compassion for the young people helped by my Trust. As the Pride of Britain became an established event, celebrating the great people of this country, Peter always insisted one of my Trust’s young people was included.”
“He never shied away from telling the difficult stories of young people who had struggled with drugs, homelessness, imprisonment or mental health issues and managed to turn their lives around. The positive impact of telling their stories will be a significant part of his legacy,” reports the Mirror.
This was Simon’s first public appearance at the Pride of Britain Awards since the tragic passing of X Factor and One Direction star Liam Payne. The father-of-one was vacationing in Buenos Aires with his girlfriend Kate Cassidy when he tragically fell from the third floor of a hotel.
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Emergency services were called to the scene after reports of a man acting aggressively, possibly under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Liam, known as one fifth of the mega-band, rose to fame in 2011 after appearing on The X Factor, where judge Simon grouped him with Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, and Niall Horan.
Music mogul Simon is reported to have been devastated by the news of Liam’s death and has since taken a break from his duties on Britain’s Got Talent as auditions continue.
Wrestling with the pain of Liam’s unexpected passing, Simon shared an emotional and stirring homage stating: “You never really know how you feel about someone until a moment like this happens. Liam, I am devastated. Heartbroken. And I feel empty. And I want you to know how much love and respect I have for you. Every tear I have shed is a memory of you.”
Simon lamented, “This is so difficult to put into words right now. I went outside today, and I thought about so many times we had together. I wanted to let you know what I would always say to the thousands of people who would always ask me. What is Liam like? And I would tell them you were kind, funny, sweet, thoughtful, talented, humble, focused. And how much you loved music. And how much love you genuinely had for the fans.”
He concluded with a personal recollection: “I had to tell you when you were 14 that this wasn’t your time. And we both made a promise that we would meet again. A lot of people would have given up. You didn’t. You came back and within months the whole world knew Liam. And you never forgot the fans.”
“I watched you spending so much time with people who had wanted to meet you. You really cared. You came to see me last year. Not for a meeting. Just to sit and talk. And we reminisced about all of the fun times we had together. And how proud you were to be a dad. After you left, I was reminded that you were still the sweet, kind boy I had met all of those years ago.”
“I have met your son, Bear. He has your smile and that twinkle in his eye that you have. And he will be so proud of everything you achieved. And how you achieved it. I always thought of the 5 of you in the band as brothers. And regarding their messages today I believe you were. And now Liam, I can see the effect you had on so many people. Because you left us too soon. Rest in peace my friend. And I am sending my love, thoughts and prayers to your family. Simon.”