Robbie Williams has said the death of former One Direction star Liam Payne should inspire the entertainment industry to offer more support to young musicians.

Speaking at the launch of his Croke Park gig in Dublin, Williams said he expects to see something done in Payne’s name to “make things better” for young musicians.

He said he doesn’t know what that might be as yet, before adding: “But I’m in”.

31-year-old Liam Payne died after falling from a third-floor hotel balcony  in Buenos Aires last month.

Last week, prosecutors in Argentina charged three people in connection with his death.

Liam Payne performing in Vancouver, Canada, 03-09-2017. Image: James Jeffrey Taylor / Alamy

The three were charged with "abandonment of a person followed by death" and the "supply and facilitation of narcotics".

Prosecutors said Payne had alcohol, cocaine and prescription antidepressants in his system and was likely "in a state of semi or total unconsciousness" when he fell.

Based on evidence in his hotel room, they are investigating whether he suffered a substance abuse-induced breakdown before he died.

@newstalkfm'The tragedy of Liam Payne hasn't gone unnoticed' Robbie Williams says things will be done in the name of the late One Direction singer to make the entertainment industry better.♬ original sound - Newstalk

Speaking in Dublin, Williams said the entertainment industry should put together a ‘think tank’ made up of creative people to discuss how best to support musicians dealing with mental health issues.

“Everybody on the planet right now is neurodiverse, has been through trauma, is struggling to come to terms with their childhood or struggling to come to terms with their place in the world and yeah, it's very difficult,” he said.

“If I turn it back to entertainment, it's very difficult and a grey area to put things into place to look after people properly.

“I know there's talk of plans of what to do and how to facilitate this but the plans of what to do and how to facilitate this come with already having money in place to be able to facilitate these things.

“That negates the young manager and the young band that are doing everything out the back of a Transit van – who don't have the money in place to facilitate it.

“So there's all of these grey areas, but it needs addressing and there needs to be a think tank by creative people, like myself and others to get together and figure out what's the best way to tackle this problem for our entertainment industry.”

Be kind

Williams said society is going through something at the moment, adding, “It's weird times, but it's really interesting times to be alive too”.

He said it is essential to ‘be kind’ to others in your everyday life.

“The tragedy of Liam won't go unnoticed and hasn't gone unnoticed and I'm sure that things will be done in his name to make things better,” he said.

“What they are, I don't know yet, but I'm in.”

Robbie Williams

Williams takes his ‘Robbie Williams Live 2025’ tour to Croke Park on Saturday the 23rd of August 2025.

Tickets to go on sale at 10am this Friday morning.

With reporting from Henry McKean.