Liam Payne’s fans blast BBC journalist Michael Buerk over 'disgraceful' remarks on singer’s death

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: BBC journalist Michael Buerk has faced the heat from Liam Payne's fans for his remarks on former One Direction member. The BBC presenter called Payne a "drugged up, faded boy band singer" a week after his death, per Metro.

The former One Direction singer died on October 16 after falling from the 3rd-floor balcony of the hotel he was staying in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Michael Buerk makes offensive remarks on Liam Payne's death

Michael Buerk discussed the change in foreign reporting over the years and took aim at news sites, such as the BBC radio show he was speaking on, for prioritizing the news of Payne’s death as a top story during Radio 4’s Today Programme on Thursday, October 24.

He said foreign reporting has changed a lot and one aspect of that being that there used to be "more of an appetite for seriousness" in the news.

Buerk said, "It was only last week that I think this programme decided that the most important thing that had happened in the world was that a drugged up, faded boy band singer had fallen off a balcony."

The 10 o’clock news, which is usually good on these things, thought it was the second most important thing that had happened in the world.

Argentine police raids Liam Payne’s hotel amid drugs peddling probe

The Buenos Aires police recently raided the CasaSur Palermo Hotel, where Liam Payne died a week ago after falling from the balcony. The autopsy revealed that the former One Direction member may have fallen into a "semi-conscious or unconscious" state and suffered multiple traumas, including a cranial fracture.

Argentinian newspaper LA NACION wrote, "Personnel from the Special Investigations Division and the Special Technological Investigations Division were deployed on Wednesday afternoon to the CasaSur Hotel in Palermo where the singer Liam Payne lost his life last week to carry out a raid to obtain elements of interest for the investigation."

The 'elements' reportedly include important 'documents and videos' from the hotel’s lobby and courtyard plus investigators seized computers, phones, and other devices from the hotel, per Page Six.

Another insider told Us Weekly that the main objective of the raid was to identify which staffers were working on October 16 and the earlier days.

Fans blast Michael Buerk over remarks on Liam Payne's death

Several of Liam Payne's fans slammed Michael Buerk for his remarks on the former One Direction member where he called him a "drugged up, faded boy band singer".

A user wrote on X, "That is just so disrespectful. Disgusting," while one added, "Utterly disgraceful comment. Shame on you."

A user also wrote, "I'll definitely speak of Michael Buerk this way when he goes to hell," while one Reddit user commented, "Oh he’s risking it all, the cancellation is on its way."

A person also stated, "As a journalist, he should've investigated why so many young celebrities die because of drugs," while one added, "Why on earth would you say something like that about someone who JUST passed away."

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