Singer Zayn Malik postpones tours over Liam Payne's death

Singer Zayn Malik has stated that he will be delaying the dates of his next tour, following the passing of his former One Direction bandmate Liam Payne.

The 31-year-old said on X on Saturday: "I've decided to postpone the US leg of the STAIRWAY TO THE SKY Tour due to the devastating loss I suffered this week.

"As soon as everything is finalised in the next days, I'll release the new dates, which are being postponed for January. For the changed dates, your tickets will still be valid. Thank you for your understanding and I love you all."

Payne passed away on Wednesday when he fell from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The British performer did not comment on the run of UK gigs, which begin in Edinburgh on November 20, but he did say that the seven American shows would now take place in January.

Before the other four members of One Direction split up the following year, Malik had departed the group in the middle of their 2015 tour.

In an Instagram post earlier this week, he paid tribute to Payne, 31, saying that despite their well-known "butting heads," he "secretly respected" his bandmate.

"Liam I can't help but think selfishly that there were so many more conversations we could have in our lives," he wrote. "I've found myself talking out loud to you, hoping you can hear me."

He added, "I never got to thank" Liam for "supporting me through some of the most difficult times in my life".