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"When we came together we never imagined we'd soon be saying goodbye to our friend Liam Payne," the Backstreet Boy says, dedicating the series to Payne and his family.
In a teary-eyed introduction to the new competition series Building the Band, AJ McLean is dedicating the Netflix show to his friend and colleague, Liam Payne and the Payne family.
The Backstreet Boy appeared in a special video introduction aired before the start of the first episode to pay tribute to the late One Direction star.
"When we came together we never imagined we'd soon be saying goodbye to our friend Liam Payne," a visibly emotional McLean expressed.
The singer noted the role the former One Direction member has in the series and the ambitious spirit he had to help other artists.
Instagram/Netflix
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View Story"Liam is a guest judge in later episodes, and through his presence, we see his deep love for music and his unwavering commitment to helping others find their voice," McLean said. "It's through that spirit that we dedicate this series to Liam and his family."
Fans on social media appreciated the remembrance of the band member, sharing both gratitude and their own feelings about Payne's final television appearance on social media.
"To Liam and his family❤️💔," one fan wrote on X (formerly Twitter.)
AJ McLean paying tribute to Liam Payne in Building The Band. 🕊️pic.twitter.com/OMhaiVBMi2
— Remembering Liam Payne (@updatingljp) July 9, 2025 @updatingljp
Instagram/TooFab
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View Story"I miss him so much," a fan account of One Direction wrote, while another praised the intro, writing, "❤️| Such a beautiful dedication to Liam at the start of episode 1 for Building The Band."
"Thank you AJ 🥹✨," another user tweeted, keeping it simple.
In an interview with TooFab on July 1, McLean opened up about his experience with Payne on set and recalled how similar their lives were.
"When you put Liam and I together in the same room, it was kind of remarkable to me how much our lives were parallel, even though there's such an age gap," he said.
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View Story"We've kind of lived very similar paths. That really kind of connected us from jump street."
The host of the new series mentioned the bond he built with the singer from spending the whole day together while filming for weeks.
"We were kind of in each other's face for 14 hours a day, for like five weeks and you're gonna learn somebody, if they’re open. And he's very open," McLean recalled.
"He lit up any room that he walked into and he was just an absolute dream to get to know on a much more personal level."
