Tragic Liam Payne was churned out by the pop machine that breaks its stars

#LiamPayne On the day he joined One Direction an excited Liam Payne texted his dad to say “I’m in a boyband.” He was just 16 and living the starry-eyed dream shared by millions of kids - fuelled by the popularity of shows like The X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent. But his tragic death, 14 years on, has shone a spotlight on the dark side of superstardom - particularly at a young age. Read more here: The Sun delivers breaking news, latest gossip and incredible exclusives around the world with hubs in London, New York, Scotland and Ireland. Covering topics from news, money and sport along with our famous Fabulous Magazine, The Sun is the biggest news brand in the UK and one of the fastest growing news sites in the US. Stay tuned for video clips across the biggest news stories and segments from The Sun’s expert journalists. Become a Sun Subscriber and hit the bell to