Liam Payne’s mother tells friends of her heartbreak after One Direction star’s shock hotel fall death following ‘drug-induced episode’

Liam Payne‘s heartbroken mother has told friends: ‘I’ve lost my beautiful boy.’

These were the only words Karen Payne could bring herself to say to loved ones who have been rallying around her in the wake of her son’s tragic and untimely death. 

Payne fell to his death from the third-floor balcony of the Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires on Wednesday. 

Longstanding friends and celebrity hair stylists Royston Blythe and Nick Malenko were among the first to reach out to his heartbroken family.

Mr Malenko said: ‘I messaged his mum Karen. She’s finding it hard to speak about what’s happened, but she said ”I’ve lost my beautiful boy”.’

Liam Payne with his father Geoff and mother Karen after the X Factor final in London in 2010

As well as father Geoff and mother Karen, Payne had two sisters, Nicola (left) and Ruth (right)

Nine weeks ago, Liam Payne’s father Geoff posted a photo of his son and his dog as he penned in the caption: ‘#Like if you love my son!’ – a post which has since been flooded with tributes

Paying tribute to the singer, who was once a regular at his Royston Blythe hair salon in Compton, Wolverhampton, he continued: ‘He was a beautiful boy inside and out.

‘It’s absolutely shocking and devastating that such a young and talent life has gone. We are never going to see him again. There are so many tears here, how can we put how we feel into words?

‘We have sold the business now, but he’d been coming to the salon to get his hair done since he was a young lad. His mum still gets her hair done there.

‘When he was competing in X Factor we put up posters in the windows to get people to vote for him. Of course, after that he became a global phenomenon. We always saw him as a hero at the salon.

‘Even at 14 he was very eloquent. I knew he was going to be famous. That’s why I gave him his first proper set of hair straighteners. He had a lot of motivation and loved what he was doing. He was passionate about it.

‘We used to go with Karen to his concerts a the NEC and he would point us out in the audience and say I was his hairdresser which was a nice thing for him to do. Like me he came from humble beginnings. His story will be a massive inspiration to young people from here.

‘He supported The Way youth hub and he used to go to a local boxing club to train because he was bullied.’ 

Ms Blythe added: ‘We were doing Liam’s hair from when he was 14-years-old and at school. I used to organise charity shows and he used to appear for free.

‘His dad used to accompany him and set up his PA equipment and he would sing.

‘We took him to meet Dawn Ward from Real Housewives of Cheshire at Warford Hall when she did the charity Creme de la Creme Ball and he was asking her lots of questions. He be sorely missed by everybody.’

Payne’s family put out a brief statement yesterday, saying: ‘We are heartbroken. Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul. 

‘We are supporting each other the best we can as a family and ask for privacy and space at this awful time.’

Payne’s uncle Roger Harris also told MailOnline yesterday afternoon: ‘We are all just deeply saddened and trying to come to terms with it. I just hope everybody gives them some privacy really and allows them to come to terms with it. That’s all I can say.’

The singer – who had been posing with fans in Buenos Aires in the hours before his death – suffered a fractured skull after falling from the third floor of Casa Sur Palmero Hotel in Argentina’s capital shortly after 5pm local time (9pm UK time) on Wednesday.

Another relative speaking at Payne’s family home in Wolverhampton – the city where he was born and grew up – told MailOnline: ‘We are utterly devastated by the news.’

Payne was raised in Wolverhampton by his mother Karen, a nurse, and father Geoff, a fitter. Early this morning, his older sisters, Nicola and Ruth, arrived at the house.

Nine weeks ago Geoff posted a sweet image of his son and his dog as he penned in the caption: ‘#Like if you love my son!’ – a post which has since been flooded with messages of condolence for their family.

Payne grew up on a road in Bushbury, Wolverhampton, before his big break with the X Factor.

While the family no longer live on the street, residents told yesterday how they still remembered the Paynes and spoke of their sadness.

One resident said: ‘My wife actually knew the family reasonably well when they lived here and she would always see them out and about when they lived here.

‘I can’t begin to imagine how his family are feeling at the moment as it must be so awful to get the news that your son has died.

‘People around here do remember the family and I think there’s just a feeling of shock at the moment.’

Another resident said he could remember seeing Payne and his sister playing in the street near the house.

He said: ‘It’s just awful to hear about Liam and to hear about a family losing a son.’