Perrie Edwards makes unexpected last-minute decision after Liam Payne's death

Perrie Edwards has made the heartfelt decision to cancel her upcoming BBC Radio 1 performance as a tribute to X Factor co-star Liam Payne following his tragic passing.

The Little Mix star, who gained fame on the ITV show a year after One Direction was formed, had been set to perform in the highly anticipated Live Lounge session on Friday.

However, in light of the devastating news of Liam's death, 31-year-old Perrie has chosen to step back out of respect for her late friend.

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Perrie, who was previously engaged to Liam's former bandmate Zayn Malik, reportedly made the last-minute decision to honour Liam's memory and support those grieving his loss.

Radio 1 hosts Rickie Haywood-Williams, Melvin Odoom, and Charlie Hedges announced her withdrawal, saying: "We've just had some news on our show that because of the sad news of Liam Payne earlier, we have heard that Perrie is not going to be in the Live Lounge tomorrow.

"She was supposed to be performing but that's now not happening tomorrow but it will be happening at a later date."

Liam passed away, aged 31, after falling from a third-floor balcony of the Casa Sur Hotel in the Argentine capital on Wednesday.

His passing has sparked an outpouring of grief from his fans and former bandmates, with One Direction members Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles and Zayn paying their respects through touching tributes.

Zayn, who left the band in 2015 before embarking on a solo career, thanked Liam for "supporting me through some of the most difficult times in my life".

"When I was missing home as a 17 yr old kid you would always be there with a positive outlook and reassuring smile and let me know you were my friend and that I was loved," the 31-year-old singer said.

Both Zayn and Louis, 32, said they had "lost a brother" in separate statements on Instagram. Louis described the late singer as "the most vital part of One Direction," describing his "perfect pitch, his stage presence, (and) his gift for writing".

"I'm so grateful that we got even closer since the band, speaking on the phone for hours, reminiscing about all the thousands of amazing memories we had together is a luxury I thought I'd have with you for life," he added. "I would have loved to share the stage with you again but it wasn't to be."

The heartbreaking statement was shared by Perrie on her Instagram Stories, she also added a series of mending heart emojis.

Perrie met the One Direction boys on The X Factor UK in 2011 at the start of their successful music careers.

She dated Zayn for two years before he proposed in August 2013, but they split in 2015 before walking down the aisle.