Now streaming on Netflix, the series marks the first posthumous appearance from the One Direction member who appears as a guest judge
The singing competition series Building the Band is now streaming on Netflix. But while the cast, crew, and contestants revel in the release, they also feel the noticeable absence of guest host Liam Payne, who died in October 2024, months after filming began. In the first episode of the series, host AJ McLean honors the One Direction member, who will make his first posthumous appearance in later episodes.
“When we came together to film Building the Band, we never imagined we’d soon be saying goodbye to our friend Liam Payne,” McLean said at the beginning of the episode. “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. It’s through that spirit that we dedicate this series to Liam and his family.”
McLean’s tribute was interspersed with footage and photos of the singer on the series. In one clip, Payne is shown jumping up and down with excitement while watching a performance. Having been thrown into a boy band with four strangers, Payne brought a particular expertise to the show. Building the Band attempts to flip the singing competition formula on its head by relying on chemistry to put a new band together without the members seeing each other.
Earlier this year, McLean told Rolling Stone that he “immediately connected” with Payne on “not only a music level but a human level.” They spent hours together for weeks at a time while filming the show. “We both were living a parallel life,” he added. “There was a lot of funny boy-band jabs that we would take at each other. He really had a quick wit to him — that nice, dry, British humor.”
Payne served as a guest judge on Building the Band alongside Kelly Rowland and Nicole Scherzinger. His segments were filmed in July 2024. “He remembered people’s names and was chatty and approachable,” Simon Hay, the show’s shooting producer-director, told Rolling Stone. Another crew member described him as “egalitarian and charming” on set, recalling that he “really wanted to help” the participants on the show. “That was the extra gut punch when I heard the terrible news,” the crew member said. “He wouldn’t be able to help them anymore.”
The first four episodes of Building the Band are now streaming. Three more will release on July 16, and the final set of episodes will premiere on July 23.
