One Direction reunites for first time in nine years at Liam Payne’s funeral: Ex-bandmates come together to say farewell to Liam payne

Members of One Direction on Wednesday reunited for the first time since splitting up to bid an emotional farewell to their pal Liam Payne.

Ex-bandmates Harry Styles, 30, Niall Horan, 31, Zayn Malik, 31, and Louis Tomlinson, 32, were seen in public together for the first time in nine years as they paid respects to their ‘brother’ Liam, who he fell from a hotel balcony in Argentina last month.

The four singers arrived separately at the church as they joined friends and family of the 31-year-old in a poignant final send off.

Styles, dressed in black, pulled up to the funeral in a BMW. Horan attended with his girlfriend Amelia Woolley, while Malik arrived shortly after Tomlinson.

Malik was the first to quit One Direction in August 2015, citing ‘stress’, after withdrawing from the group’s world tour. The band officially announced its split in January 2016, breaking the hearts of millions of fans across the globe.

Girls Aloud member Cheryl Tweedy, who is the mother of Payne’s seven-year-old son Bear, was also in attendance along with his girlfriend Kate Cassidy, 25, and One Direction creator Simon Cowell.

The former X-Factor judge had a heartfelt embrace with Payne’s parents Geoff and Karen as he sought to comfort them following their son’s tragic death.

Radio 2 Breakfast DJ Scott Mills, James Corden and Marvin and Rochelle Humes were also seen walking past floral displays showing bowling pins and a ball in a poignant reference to Payne’s love of bowling.

A horse-drawn carriage carried the dark blue coffin with silver handles, which was topped with white roses, to the service at the church in the Home Counties.

A red floral tribute which read ‘son’ and a blue tribute which said ‘daddy’ were also on the funeral carriage. Following the service, his coffin was carried to a black Jaguar hearse.

US influencer Ms Cassidy arrived alongside Damian Hurley, the son of model Elizabeth Hurley.

Girls Aloud singers Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh, who wore long black coats and sunglasses, supported their bandmate Cheryl.

Horan and his girlfriend Amelia Woolley were dropped off by a black Range Rover and went straight into the church, while Harry Styles was accompanied by Corden.

Capital radio DJs Chris Stark, Jordan North and Sian Welby all paid tribute, as well as new BBC Radio 2 breakfast host Scott Mills.

JLS star and TV presenter Marvin Humes, who met Payne when he first auditioned for The X Factor in 2008, attended alongside his wife, The Saturdays singer Rochelle Humes.

Former professional footballer Robbie Keane and broadcaster Adrian Chiles were also amongst the mourners gathering to pay their last respects to Payne.