Rita Ora admits she 'still feels Liam Payne' months after star's tragic death
Rita Ora has said she "still feels" Liam Payne nine months after the One Direction star tragically died in Argentina. The 34-year-old singer said Liam was "a really great friend" of hers, and added she now always sings their song For You "all the time" which helps her keep his memory alive.
Rita addressed her friendship with the late singer during an appearance on Elvis Duran and the Morning Show.
In her interview, she was asked whether she will watch Building the Band, a new Netflix show - Liam's final project - which wrapped filming shortly before he passed away. The first four episodes premiered on Netflix on July 9, with three more episodes due to drop next week.
The final three episodes will hit the streamer on July 23. Elvis, hosting the iHeart Radio show, asked Rita if she is planning to watch the show, to which she replied: "I 100% will watch it." She then shared some details on her friendship with Liam, saying: "That's a really great friend of mine. I still sort of feel him anyway, so it's fine."
She then added: "I have the last song that I think we did together as a duo and I sing it all the time. And it just feels like he's just right there. And we always do a cute little moment of a photo of him and it feels fantastic to just feel like he's still around through music."
Rita said: "That's why music is so powerful. It really does bring back a person, a memory, a feeling." She continued: "So yeah, I have this incredible memory with him, with For You, our song together, and I'll always have that."
One month after Liam's death, Rita hosted the MTV EMA and paid a special tribute to her friend. Fighting back tears, she emotionally said to the cameras: "I just want to take a moment to remember someone that was very, very dear to us.
"We lost him recently, and he was a big part of the MTV world and my world, and I think a lot of yours at home and everybody in here tonight. Liam Payne was one of the kindest people that I knew.
"And, you know, there were so many ways that we were talking about honouring him, and I think sometimes just simply speaking is enough."
Dressed in a dark suit, in a poignant moment that contrasted the rest of the upbeat night, Rita continued: "He had the biggest heart, he was always the first person to offer help in any way that he could. He put so much joy into every room he walked in. And he left such a mark on this world. So let's just take a moment to remember our friend."
Prior to Rita hosting the EMAs, a source told The Sun that the British singer would want to be involved in MTV's plans to commemorate Liam on the show. Touching on their friendship, they said: "She and Liam have been close for years and grew in the industry together. Obviously, she is devastated by his passing."
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