Jade Thirlwall is opening up her friendship the late Liam Payne.

During an appearance on ITV’s The Assembly on Sunday, May 4, the Little Mix alum detailed her experience with Payne, who was “the first friend” she made “in the industry.”

“You were quite close with Liam Payne,” an individual on the show asked Thirlwall, per a video shared on TikTok from the show. “There’s a lot of difficult stories out there and a lot of negativity surrounding him. I wondered whether you’d like to share a positive memory that you guys have and just talk about what he was like as a person.”

Thirlwall, 32, and Payne auditioned for X Factor UK in 2010. That season, Payne came in third place as a member of One Direction and Thirlwall was eliminated before reaching the live shows. She returned the following year and was made a member of Little Mix.

Jade Thirlwall Reveals Why Little Mix’s X-Factor Experience Was ‘Pretty F—ed Up,’ How It Exacerbated Mental Illness

“We both auditioned for X Factor and we were very young… He was just so lovely. He was obviously very talented, he really wanted to make his family proud, which he did,” she said.

“I remember everyone who was on the show at the time saying, ‘This person’s a star’. You could tell, he literally had the X factor. He was destined to be a musician and a singer,” Thirlwall continued.

Payne died after falling multiple stories at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina on Oct. 16.

Jade Thirlwall and Liam Payne on X Factor.David Wolff – Patrick/Redferns via Getty; Shirlaine Forrest/WireImage

After the death was confirmed, Thirlwall paid tribute to the late singer — who was 31 — on her Instagram Stories.

“The news of Liam’s passing is truly heartbreaking. Sending so much love to his family, friends, fans, loved ones, and all who knew him. We fell out of touch as the years went by, but back in 2008 he was the first friend I made in this industry. Both of us so young, so ambitious, both hoping we’d ‘make it’. I hope you are at peace now ❤️,” she wrote at the time.

Last month, Payne’s sister marked six months since his death with a heartbreaking letter on social media.

Liam Payne’s Girlfriend Kate Cassidy Reveals What He Said in ‘Chilling’ Goodbye Last Time She Saw Him Before His Death

“My head is still screaming for you,” Ruth Gibbins began on Instagram. “Each morning on waking, I feel like I am plunged underwater, gasping for air that never comes to relieve me. Living without you is impossible, so for now, I exist. I’m learning to laugh or smile in the right places, but mate, it’s exhausting when all I want to do is speak to you.”

In her post, she also said she was working on allowing herself to feel “love and not just loss” — and smiles at the memories they share.

“Love you so much more than these words or my tears are capable of expressing but I know you know this. For now, I’ll meet you in my dreams,” she concluded.