More celebs join calls for better care for young stars after Liam Payne death as thousands sign Liam's Law petition

Reality star Ovie Soko has called for reality shows to have age restrictions so that the welfare and welleing of younger participants is protected. 33-year-old Soko, who appeared on ITV 2 dating show Love Island in 2019, spoke to MailOnline following the death of One Direction singer Liam Payne, who died last week.

The TV personality, who is also a basketball star, that he believed it was unfair for those in their teens and early twenties to be 'judged for their silly mistakes' in front of an audience of millions. He told the publication: “There should maybe be an age restriction, because someone that's a young adult is still a young adult. They are going to make young mistakes and I don't think that's always fair for someone that age to be held to something that their doing when they are young and silly.”

Asked if there was anything he'd have done differently while on Love Island, Soko said: “I don't think so, I think it was a good experience for me. I really can't complain, I was pretty privileged when some people get a bad wrap and get a bad experience when I had a pretty easy going.”

Payne died last Wednesday (October 16) after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The 31-year-old first auditioned for ITV singing contest the X Factor aged just 14 in 2008, before returning two years later and going on to become a member of One Direction, known as 1D. The band propelled Payne, and his bandmates Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik, to worldwide fame.

Speaking at Pride of Britain Awards,which took place on Monday (October 21), musician and actress Beverley Knight spoke out about the situation: “We need more care for young people in the music industry.” Referencing Payne, she went on: “He was initially 14, 15 when he started, the 1D lads were babies. And as minors there should be so much more care, so much more attention.”

She also said there is more care for young actors and believes this should be replicated for young musicians: “In theatre there are chaperones for kids until they reach the age of 18, we should have the same in music. Kids need to be protected, they cannot just be a means of making money or generating money. They cannot, they have to be protected, their mental health has to be looked after first and foremost.”

Singer Chesney Hawkes also joined the conversation and said he hoped something good would come from Payne’s tragic death. He said: “Going through this business is not an easy thing.

“I feel for Liam and his family. It does spit you out, this business, and I feel there needs to be more support for artists. Especially artists that go through these reality shows where they are very famous for one minute and then spat out. We all know there have been casualties of that machine. And I'm hoping that with tragedy like this comes some kind of hope that the business is going to look after these people.”

Before his shock death, Payne has spoken out about how the global fame of One Direction changed his life and affected his relationship with drugs and alcohol and he admitted: “I don't know if I've hit rock bottom yet”. Speaking to Stephen Bartlett on the Diary Of The CEO Podcast in 2021, he said: “I was worried how far my rock bottom was going to be. Where's rock bottom for me? And you would never have seen it. I'm very good at hiding it.”

He added: “I don't even know if I have hit it yet. I can either make that choice now and pick my last moment as my rock bottom or I can make a whole new low.” He also said he had suffered for years with “social anxiety” and “stress” from being famous, and discussed the pressure his mental health was under.

Simon Cowell, who owned the record company which One Direction were signed to, has faced questions about the aftercare provided for young performers, particularly those who quickly find themselves in the spotlight, after Payne’s death.

Fellow X-Factor star Katie Waissel, age 38, who appeared alongside the late star on the 2010 series of X Factor, called for a negligence and duty of care investigation into Cowell's record company, SyCo Entertainment. She also accused music bosses of focusing on “profits rather than people” in a statement published on X. She added that she believed there was an “urgent need for change in the music industry” as she called for an “immediate investigation” and “new laws” to protect young stars.

Waissel also founded a campaign called For The Record, which she describes as “revolutionising safety for all in the creative industries” in her X biography, in June 2023.

Fellow X-Factor contestant Rebecca Ferguson also said the PTSD caused by “profiteering off young stars” had “finally taken its first victim” in the wake of Payne’s death.

Cowell postponed Britain's Got Talent auditions in Blackpool as a mark of respect to Payne. He later issued a statment in which he said he was "truly devastated" and "heartbroken" by his death. He added: "I wanted to let you know what I would always say to the thousands of people who would always ask me. What is Liam like? And I would tell them you were kind, funny, sweet, thoughtful, talented, humble, focused. And how much you loved music. And how much love you genuinely had for the fans."

Cheryl, Payne’s ex-partner and mother of his seven-year-old son Bear, also criticised the nature of the industry when she paid tribute to him. She wrote on Instagram: “'I'd like to kindly remind everyone that we have lost a human being. Liam was not only a pop star and celebrity, he was a son, a brother, an uncle, a dear friend and a father to our seven year old son. A son that now has to face the reality of never seeing his father again.”

The former couple, who dated between 2016 and 2018, met when Payne auditioned for the X-Factor as Cheryl, 41, was on the judging panel. But they did not date until a few years later. She continued: 'What is troubling my spirit the most is that one day Bear will have access to the abhorrent reports and media exploitation we have seen . . . It is breaking my heart further that I cannot protect him from that in the future.  I am begging you to consider what use some of these reports are serving, other than to cause further harm to everyone left behind picking up the pieces.  . . . Please give Liam the little dignity he has left in the wake of his death to rest in some peace at last.”

The likes of Soko, Waissel, Ferguson, Knight and Hawkes have spoken out as more than 91,000 oridinary people have signed a petition calling for new legislation, known as Liam's Law, to protect the mental health of artists in the music industry.

The proposed law would make regular mental health check-ups and sufficient rest periods mandatory for young artists, as well as ongoing support throughout an artist's career and access to mental health professionals.

The petition, which was created on Friday (October 18) by a fan who is only known as Day KV on Change.org, states: “The entertainment industry must be held accountable and take responsibility for the well-being of its artists. Resultant issues such as stress, anxiety, depression, substance misuse and even suicide are alarmingly high. According to research, performers are 2-3 times more likely to suffer from these issues compared to the general population.

They added that a law will “ensure a healthier, safer, and more conducive working environment for artists to cultivate their talents reducing psychological distress. This would also include early interventions to protect and minimise before it's too late”.

Appealing for people to sign, the creator added: “Your signature could be a lifeline for these talented individuals, contributing to a larger movement of mental health awareness and care in industries worldwide. Please, sign the petition.”

The petition, called Enact Legislation to Safeguard Artists' Mental Health in the Entertainment Industry, is gaining thousands more signatures daily.