Nicole Scherzinger and Liam Payne knew each other for well over a decade before he tragically passed away in 2024.

The stars had finished filming Netflix's Building the Band only a few months before the One Direction alum fell to his death from his third-story balcony at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, last October.

The series, which premiered on July 9, sees Scherzinger and Payne as judges attempting to build the next great musical group. The Pussycat Dolls alum spoke about Liam's involvement in the series during a recent appearance on Late Night With Seth Meyers, assuring that they received his family's approval before airing the show, and that they were all so proud of him.

"They were actually there in the process with it while we filmed it. And we’re just really proud of him and I’m excited for everyone to see Liam shine."

In fact, the judges, which include Backstreet Boys AJ McLean and Destiny's Child songstress Kelly Rowland, decided to dedicate the entire show to the "Teardrops" hitmaker.

"We’ve dedicated this show to Liam. We’re so proud of him. He had such an amazing time. We had so much fun doing the show together and he’s such a beautiful, kind soul and heart." Speaking on her personal relationship with Liam, the "Buttons" icon explained:

"We’ve come full circle, especially with Liam and I from X Factor, too. He’s walked this path so he’s the perfect person to be able to help people in this way, to be able to give back. And he loved it. He really believed in the bands in the show."

For more, read AJ McLean Reveals How He Found Out About Co-Star Liam Payne's Tragic Death.

Listen to Scherzinger talk about Payne and Building the Band below.

Denise Plante