X Factor star shares admission about Liam Payne as they open up on dark side of fame

ok.co.uk:

A former X Factor contestant has opened up, relating to Liam Payne's harrowing struggles with fame. Sean Smith, who found popularity on the show back in 2007 as part of the duo Same Difference with his sister, has spoken out about the sad passing of Liam, a fellow X Factor alum.

Liam tragically lost his life at the age of 31 last October after falling from a building in Argentina. Sean, having known Liam during their early music days, first thought his death was a cruel joke. “I couldn't work out how he got there, he was so talented, grounded and from such a wonderful family that I just couldn't understand,” he revealed to The Sun.

He further commented on the rife drug culture within showbiz: “You could see how easily you get into that world and that it could spiral out of control." Reflecting on his own experience, Sean shared the immense pressure to maintain an image of perfection, recounting how he was instructed to keep up appearances no matter what: “We were told, 'It's always sunny in Same Difference world, always.

You always have a big smile while being papped. If you do an interview even if there are cracks you must never show them,'" reports the Mirror.