This is a shot of me recalling the manis that surround One Direction when they first came to America.

As a longtime fan of One Direction and The X Factor, I was honored, if deeply saddened, to take part in the timely new primetime special Price of Fame: The Liam Payne Story – A Special Edition of 20/20.

The one-hour special, which aired Nov. 3 on ABC and is now available to stream on Hulu, explores Payne’s meteoric rise to fame at age 16 and his later struggles with mental health, addiction, and his attempt to reinvent himself as a solo artist in the shadow of his former 1D bandmates.

Other experts who were interviewed for this special included former X Factor judge Sharon Osbourne; Chip Somers, a psychotherapist and addiction specialist who worked with Payne; Oritsé Williams, an X Factor contestant and founding member of the boy band JLS; Rolling Stone staff writer Brittany Spanos; and Variety music editor Jem Aswad.

Liam Payne – a look at the life of the music sensation, and an examination of the darker aspects of celebrity culture and the impact fame had on his life.

“Price of Fame: The Liam Payne Story – A Special Edition of 20/20″ airs Sunday at 10/9c on ABC. Stream on Hulu. pic.twitter.com/ANXaHgHew9

— 20/20 (@ABC2020) November 1, 2024