Why This New Netflix Talent Show Is Already Rife With Controversy

Graziadaily

10-07-2025

While reality TV has faced a cultural reckoning over the past few years after the tragic deaths of Caroline Flack and former Love Islanders Mike Thalassitis and Sophie Gradon, it's clear the genre is no where close to being done. Streaming giants have only created more iterations since, from Temptation Island, to Next Gen NYC , and now we have Building the Band - a new talent-based reality TV series where singers battle it out to form the winning band.
Many have taken issue with this particular reality series because of one of the famous faces appearing in it: Liam Payne. The late One Direction singer filmed his scenes days before he died aged 31, after falling from a hotel balcony. Critics have questioned whether it's ethical to still go ahead with the series and continue to broadcast Payne's scenes after this tragic event.
According to Deadline, Netflix spoke with the singer's family first and the resultant conversation led to the decision to go ahead with the show. In a statement they said his family had 'reviewed the series and [were] supportive of his inclusion'.
Earlier this week, Payne's sister Ruth Gibbins said on Instagram this week she is 'heartbroken' that Payne will never see how 'brilliant' he is on it.
The series follows 50 singers as they compete to form bands without ever seeing each other.
' Building the Band is a brave and bold undertaking for all involved as we hand over power to the singers themselves to form their own band based on chemistry first,' its executive producer Cat Lawson said.
'With looks out of the equation, can they create a deeper connection with their bandmates? With limited bands, there are difficult decisions and heart-stopping moments along the way, but ultimately the outcome is truly amazing, with bands forming who in my opinion are worthy of the very biggest stage!'
He's a guest judge on the series alongside Kelly Rowland and Nicole Scherzinger. The show is hosted by the Backstreet Boys' AJ McLean will host. Payne's involvement in the show was first announced last August, just two months before he died. The show has a total of ten episodes, and Liam will only appear from episode seven onwards.
Deadline reported that filming wrapped on the show by October 2024, and that the final three episodes were shot live in August of that year in a Manchester studio.
Ruchira Sharma is Acting Senior Editor at Grazia, where she writes and edits features for print and digital. From online dating culture, to cryptocurrency and online conspiracy theories, she's most interested by how online life shapes society, and co-hosts the pop culture podcast Everything Is Content.