In a teary-eyed introduction to the new competition series Building the Band Like This, 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 first came together, we never imagined that we would soon be saying goodbye to our friend Liam Payne,” expressed a visibly emotional McLean.
The singer noted the role the former One Direction member has in the series and the ambitious spirit he has had to help other artists.
“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 is in this spirit that we dedicate this series to Liam and his family.”
Fans on social media appreciated the band member’s remembrance, sharing gratitude and their own feelings about Payne’s final television appearance on social media.
“To Liam and his family❤️💔,” wrote one fan on X (formerly Twitter.)
“I miss him so much,” wrote one One Direction fan account, while another praised the intro, writing: “❤️ | Such a beautiful dedication to Liam at the beginning of episode 1 to build the band.”
“Thanks AJ 🥹✨,” another user tweeted, putting it simply.
“When you put Liam and I in the same room, it was remarkable to me how parallel our lives were, even though there was an age gap,” he said.
“We kind of live very similar paths. That really connected us from Jump Street.”
The host of the new series mentioned the bond he built with the singer from spending all day together while filming for weeks.
“We were in each other’s faces for 14 hours a day for five weeks and you learn someone if they’re open. And he’s very open,” McLean recalled.
“He lit up any room he walked into and he was just an absolute dream to get to know on a much more personal level.”
