Rita Ora in tears as she pays heartbreaking tribute to Liam Payne at the MTV EMAs
Rita Ora paid a heartfelt tribute to the late One Direction star Liam Payne during Sunday night's MTV Europe Music Awards (EMAs).
The singer and actress, who hosted the ceremony in Manchester, fought back the tears on stage as she remembered her close friend.
Liam, who tragically died at 31 last month after a fall from a third-floor balcony at the Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, had shared a close bond with Rita.
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The two collaborated on the hit song For You, which featured on the Fifty Shades Freed soundtrack, highlighting their musical chemistry and friendship.
"I just want to take a moment to remember someone very, very dear to us," she said on stage. "We lost him recently and he was a big part of the MTV world and my world. Liam Payne was one of the kindest people that I knew."
She added: "He had the biggest heart and was always the first person to offer help in any way that he could. "He brought so much joy to every room he walked into and he left such a mark on the world."
An image of the late singer was then shown on screens in the arena.
News of Liam's death sent shockwaves around the globe and prompted an outpour of emotional tributes.
Among those paying tribute to the star following his death were his fellow bandmates Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik and Harry Styles, as well as his former partner Cheryl, who is the mother of Liam's seven-year-old son, Bear.
Shortly after his death, Liam's family released a joint statement which read: "We are heartbroken. Liam will forever live in our hearts, and we'll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul.
"We are supporting each other the best we can as a family and ask for privacy and space at this awful time."
Liam died from multiple injuries as well as internal and external bleeding caused by the fall, a post-mortem examination said.
The singer had found fame alongside the four 1D boys when Simon Cowell put them together to form One Direction on ITV talent show The X Factor in 2010.
Liam first auditioned in 2008 when he was 14, singing Frank Sinatra's Fly Me To The Moon, with judge Cowell telling him to return to the talent show two years later.
