'Mentor' Nicole Scherzinger breaks silence on Liam Payne death

Nicole Scherzinger has spoken for the first time on Liam Payne tragedy.

The former X Factor judge, who played a key role in the formation of the famed boyband One Direction, took to Instagram with a heartfelt tribute for the slain bandmember.

Scherzinger, 47, went with a picture of herself, Liam and Kelly Rowland in her tribute, which began, "Dear Liam, I will forever cherish and treasure the time we shared together, from fifteen years ago when One Direction was born, right up until just a few weeks ago."

"It was such a blessing to get to work with you recently. We shared the same love and passion for music and I will forever remember the meaningful and joyful conversations we had," she wrote in his honour.

The Pussycat Dolls star went on to add, "It’s been so hard to process that you’re no longer here, but I am grateful to have known your kind heart, sweet soul and character.

Scherzinger concluded her message, writing, "You brought so much joy, light, and laughter to the lives of those that truly knew you. I will 'miss you' my friend and carry you in my heart. My thoughts and prayers are with your family."

The photo used in the tribute was from the wrapup of the filming for new Netflix show Building The Band just two months before his tragic death in Argentina.

Her post coincided with a startling revelation music composer and theatre guru Andrew Lloyd Webber made about the 31-year-old singer's text to Scherzinger on the day he died.

"On the Wednesday when he died, she was still texting him that day, and [that evening] the reviewers came in [to Sunset], she'd just heard that he died," Webber told Billboard magazine.

"And the fact that she even did the show at all is extraordinary. I mean she is an amazing, amazing woman," he added.

Payne was pronounced dead on site when he fell 45ft from a third-floor balcony into the courtyard of the Casa Sur Hotel in Argentina's capital on 16 September.