Fans of One Direction, affectionately known as Directioners, have been reeling since the latest revelations from Louis Tomlinson’s appearance on the popular podcast The Diary of a CEO with Steven Bartlett. The nearly two-hour episode, which aired on October 8, 2025, and was screened in select theaters across the United States and the United Kingdom, offered an unfiltered look into Tomlinson’s life, his memories of the band, and the personal tragedies that have shaped him. The conversation was raw and emotional, with Tomlinson holding little back as he discussed the death of his former bandmate Liam Payne, the departure of Zayn Malik, the band’s painful split, and the lingering question of a reunion.
One of the most poignant moments of the interview came when Tomlinson recounted the day he learned of Liam Payne’s death. According to Variety and Betches, it was former bandmate Niall Horan who broke the news to him. Tomlinson was in Los Angeles, having just dropped his son Freddie off at school, when he received a call from Niall. “I think Niall said something like, ‘Have you seen the news?’ and I knew as soon as he said that,” Tomlinson remembered. “I kinda knew what he might’ve meant.”
Liam Payne, who was just 31 at the time, died after falling from a balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on October 16, 2024, as reported by The Independent. The news was devastating for Tomlinson, who compared the grief to the loss of his younger sister, Félicité, who died from an accidental overdose in 2019. “I had the same feeling that I had with my sister Félicité,” he said. “I think anyone has this when they’re around someone who’s struggling; my 150 percent wasn’t nearly enough.”
Tomlinson reflected on the helplessness he felt as he tried to support Payne through his struggles. “It’s my own arrogance thinking that I could’ve helped, really. Because it was so much deeper than what I could’ve done for him. He was definitely struggling at that time in his life,” he said, his voice tinged with regret. He described Payne’s death as “unjust” and “frustrating,” adding, “It was really, really, impossibly difficult for me to deal with losing Liam.” He admitted that, despite having lost his mother Johannah Deakin to leukemia in 2016 and his sister years later, nothing prepared him for the loss of a close friend. “Super-naive,” Tomlinson confessed. “It’s very different. I’ve never lost a friend before.”
After learning of Payne’s passing, Tomlinson penned a heartfelt tribute, calling Liam “my boy, one of my best friends, my brother.” He went on to say, “I could just go on and talk all day about how amazing he was, but I think we all looked up to him. I don’t think we would have been brave enough to say at that age when I was in the band — I think I would’ve had too much pride — but we all looked up to him massively.”
The podcast also saw Tomlinson opening up about the band’s split in 2015, a moment that sent shockwaves through the music industry and left millions of fans heartbroken. He described the fateful meeting as one attended only by the band members, but one that felt as if their representatives were present, so heavy was the atmosphere. “What’s really fascinating is those real serious moments… we wouldn’t have a lot of them in One Direction,” Tomlinson explained. “I think there’s kind of moments where you have to be selfish. It was an atmosphere that you never really felt in the band, because normally… it’s all this camaraderie. Then all of a sudden, you get someone thinking more independently and more for themselves, which, by the way, they have every right to do. But the room felt cold that day… I’ve never quite felt an energy like that in the room. There was this emptiness.”
Tomlinson admitted to being “naive” at the time, clinging to the hope of some indication as to how long the band’s hiatus would last. “I never really got an answer to that question — which I understand now, because truthfully, I don’t think the people or person involved was brave enough to answer that question,” he said. “Deep down, I think they probably knew the reality, and that’s why it was tough.”
Another emotional topic was Zayn Malik’s departure from the band. Tomlinson confessed to being “absolutely crushed” and “fuming” when Malik left, especially since they had been close friends. “It felt like, ‘Oh, is this the beginning of the end of the band?’ But then also, I’m like, this is like my best mate in the band at the time. I’d lost a friend and someone in the band,” Tomlinson shared. He speculated that Malik may not have told him about his decision because he feared Tomlinson would try to talk him out of it. “His own personal success has been incredibly successful, and he’s done really, really well like that, but he must miss it,” Tomlinson mused. “Like, he must.”
Despite the pain and lingering questions, Tomlinson and Malik have recently reconnected. The two are set to star in a three-part Netflix travel series, which promises a journey of “reconnection, exploration and a lot of laughter.” According to a press release cited by Betches and Variety, the show will see them embark on a road trip across America, engaging in candid conversations about life, love, loss, and fatherhood. It’s a sign that, while the wounds of the past remain, there’s room for healing and perhaps even new beginnings.
The prospect of a One Direction reunion, always a hot topic among fans, was addressed with characteristic honesty. Tomlinson said, “Never say never,” but admitted, “I can’t ever imagine… I’m not sure it would be right to [after Liam’s death].” He did, however, entertain the idea of a reunion decades down the line, joking, “For the sake of argument, say in 25 years, and it’s like a fucking Oasis thing… they offer us an arm and a leg and they’re like ‘Come back and do this number of shows.’ I don’t know.” With a bittersweet twist, Tomlinson noted, “The irony is, there’s no one who would have campaigned more for One Direction to come back than Liam. I’d say I came in close second.”
Tomlinson’s candidness throughout the interview has resonated deeply with fans and the wider public. His willingness to discuss grief, regret, and the complexities of friendship and fame provides a rare window into the emotional realities behind the glittering façade of pop stardom. For Directioners and casual listeners alike, the podcast offers a moving reminder of the enduring bonds—and scars—left by the One Direction phenomenon.
As Tomlinson and Malik prepare for their Netflix adventure, and as the world continues to mourn Liam Payne, the story of One Direction remains as compelling, bittersweet, and deeply human as ever.
