Payne was part of the much-loved boy band alongside Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Zayn Malik.
He first tried to achieve stardom by auditioning for ITV talent show The X Factor in 2008, but judge Simon Cowell told him: “Come back in two years.”
He did just that, further impressing the judges in 2010 and joining four other solo hopefuls on the bootcamp stage to form One Direction.
The group had four UK number one albums, four number one singles and topped charts around the world, but announced a hiatus in 2015.
In 2017, Payne’s debut solo single Strip That Down reached number three on the Official UK Charts, while his collaboration with Rita Ora, For You from the Fifty Shades Freed soundtrack, also reached the top ten.
He married Girls Aloud star Cheryl Cole in 2016 and gave birth to their son Bear the following year. The couple separated in 2018.
Claims about his behavior towards other ex-partners have circulated on social media in recent weeks, with one reportedly taking legal action on Tuesday to prevent him from contacting friends and family.
