Liam Payne’s Sister Marks One Direction’s Anniversary In Emotional Tribute
By Sarah Tate
July 23, 2026
It's been nearly 20 years since One Direction first formed, and while Liam Payne is no longer here to mark the occasion, his sister knows he would be celebrating.
On Thursday (July 23), Payne's sister Ruth Gibbins penned an emotional tribute to her late brother on her Instagram Stories in honor of the 16th anniversary of 1D forming on The X Factor UK, per The Tribune. Payne along with Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik were grouped together after initially auditioning solo.
Gibbins shared a screenshot of a text message Payne seemingly sent on July 23, 2010, saying, "Im in a boyband."
"16 years ❤️ I don't have the words atm for any of this, I just know Liam would celebrate today as he was so proud of this band and so this is for him, for being part of the best boyband ever," she write, before adding a message to her brother. "@liampayne miss you, you should be here. hope someone up there is sitting listening to you sing your songs and all your memories you have to tell today."
She paired the dedication with One Direction's 2011 song "Stand Up," because "noone plays the bangers anymore."
Payne died October 16, 2024, after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina. After sharing their initial tributes to their "brother" at the time, his 1D bandmates have opened up about his death in recent months, from Louis Tomlinson reflecting on the "impossibly difficult" loss and Harry Styles sharing that he "struggled" with the news.