Netflix is expanding its reality television offering with singing competition, Building The Band, starring the late Liam Payne.
Questions around how the series would play out and address the untimely death of the One Direction star have been swirling for months. Now, with the show making its debut on the streaming site, fans have their answers.
To begin, the series opened with Backstreet Boy and host AJ McLean sharing a tribute to his former co-star.
“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.
“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.”
Here’s what you need to know about Liam Payne’s involvement in Building The Band.
When Was Building The Band Filmed?
Filming for Building The Band took place in 2024 with live shows filmed in late August in Manchester, England before wrapping that same month. Liam’s involvement in the show was announced around the same time, just two months prior to his tragic death.
Is Liam Payne A Judge On The New Netflix Series Building The Band?
Yes, Liam appears on Building The Band later in the season as a guest judge and mentor alongside fellow musical stars and girl group legends, Nicole Scherzinger and Kelly Rowland.
How Many Episodes Of Building The Band Is Liam Payne In?
The One Direction star is reportedly set to appear in the 10-episode show from episode seven onwards.
While initial reports suggested this was a minimised version of what had initially been planned, this was quickly dispelled with co-host Nicole Scherzinger adding that Liam’s family was heavily consulted about the final production.
“Liam meant and means so much to all of us, and we were very obviously sensitive to the whole process,” she told Access Hollywood.
Nicole then added that they “ultimately left it into his family’s hands” and looked to “respect how they felt about everything and how to move forward.”
