SWEET MEMORY | Chris Hughes breaks down as he reveals the heart-shattering reason Liam Payne’s death “hit him so hard.”
In a raw confession, Chris, 32, opens up about the private messages Liam once sent him — words that helped him through the darkest moments of his own battle with fame and pressure.
But it’s the final message Liam ever sent, one Chris says he still “can’t bring himself to delete,” that’s leaving fans in tears.
👇 Read the message that changed everything in the comments.
Chris Hughes reveals heartbreaking reason Liam Payne’s death ‘hit him so hard’ and reveals secret messages from star
Chris, 32, revealed the late singer once helped him through his own struggles with life in the public eye
CHRIS Hughes choked back tears as he opened up about why Liam Payne’s death affected him so deeply.
The One Direction star tragically died at age 31 after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina in October 2024.
Chris Hughes has shared a sweet memory about Liam PayneCredit: Instagram/@questionthedefaultpod
Liam tragically died last yearCredit: AFP
Throughout his career, Liam had been open about his battles with fame and the pressures of living in the spotlight.
And Love Island legend Chris, 32, revealed the late singer once helped him through his own struggles with life in the public eye.
Speaking on the Question The Default podcast with host Harry Corin, Chris reflected on a supportive message Liam sent him after a run-in with paparazzi in 2020.
The incident took place outside the NTAs following a row with his then-girlfriend, Jesy Nelson.
Recalling Liam’s kindness, Chris said: “When Liam Payne died, that hit me hard because he was one of the first people who reached out to me in that moment [the paparazzi incident].”
His voice cracked with emotion as he continued: “You know, seeing everything that happened to him was just, was obviously extremely upsetting for millions and millions of people.
“When we saw that news. Oh, my God, it hit you hard (when Liam died).
“First thing I thought of was how he was to me when, like, I was going through, like, a struggle.”
Chris first found fame in 2017 after appearing on the third season of the reality dating series Love Island.
He dated Jesy Nelson for over a year before they split in 2020.
Chris explained: “He cared about, like, my mental health …
“He reached out, he sent me a message the morning after that incident, and was just like, know, you’ll be anxious.
“It happens. It’s normal. Which basically normalised it to make me feel better.
“Which I thought says a lot about the person’s character.”
Elsewhere on the podcast, Celebrity Big Brother star Chris talked about the pressures he faced coming out of Love Island.
He said: “Everything had changed and for me. It was tough because I don’t watch loads of that type of TV.
“I think it took me about probably a good year to learn what not to react to.
“And it was kind of like I was adapting to a completely new environment and a new life and a new lifestyle.
“So things were tough in that respect. And the media stuff can be really tough at times.”
Liam reached out to Chris after the NTAs in 2020Credit: Getty
He is now dating singer JoJo SiwaCredit: Instagram
