The Netflix show opens immediately with a tribute to the late singer by host AJ McLean, and it serves as one of many emotional tributes to Payne that have come after his death. He addresses the fact that the show was filmed before Payne passed away in October,

AJ McLean revealed he kept a recording of his final conversation with his late 'Building the Band' costar Liam Payne. "I've not deleted it. I've kept it on my phone as a constant reminder of who he was.

Netflix’s “Building the Band” paid tribute to Liam Payne during episode 1. Payne, who died at age 31 in October 2024, posthumously appears as a judge on the reality competition series. At the start of the premiere episode, host AJ McLean acknowledged Payne’s death.

Backstreet Boys singer AJ McLean shared a heartfelt tribute dedicated to Liam Payne during the premiere episode of Netflix’s new singing competition, which marks the late One Direction singer’s last TV appearance. The singer signed on for the Netflix talent show, Building The Band, just two months before his death in October 2024, aged 31.

Netflix made a major change to Liam Payne's final TV role as the show opens with a tribute to the late One Direction singer