Famous Liam Payne funeral guest defended as choice of clothes sparks anger and outrage

Football lovers, Liam Payne fans, and supporters of Adrian Chiles have all come together following some harsh critiques of Chiles' attire at Liam's funeral this week. Liam tragically passed away aged just 31 on October 16 after a fall from a third-floor balcony at Buenos Aires' CasaSur Hotel in Argentina.

A painstaking few weeks ensued as his father Geoff worked tirelessly to repatriate his son's body back to England, culminating in the final goodbye in old Amersham, surrounded by Liam's nearest and dearest including ITV's very own Adrian Chiles. Standing out from the crowd with his less conventional ensemble, Adrian donned a football jacket featuring bold Adidas branding and the West Bromwich Albion badge – a choice that caused a stir online.

Social media saw one critic lambasting the decision – "Bizarre going to a funeral wearing football gear. Shocking," they took to Twitter to express their indignation, only to be met by a wave of support for both Adrian and Liam. A staunch defender highlighted Liam's passionate fandom – "You know exactly what you're doing here. Trying to hint that this is funny and odd when it's because Liam was a massive Baggies (West Bromwich Albion) fan and they used to watch games together. Shame on you," they penned, emphasizing the personal significance of the outfit choice.

READ MORE - Cheryl smoothed over One Direction bandmates' tensions after Liam Payne's funeral

READ MORE - Lisa McHugh's baby daughter 'very sick' as she shares health warning

“Liam Payne was a massive West Brom fan, he would have loved Adrian Chile's turning up at his funeral in that club jacket,” echoed another, pointing out the heartfelt tribute to Liam's devotion to the team.

One individual defended the situation, stating: "Even as a Villa fan I can appreciate this. Liam Payne was a massive West Brom fan and Chiles is one of their most high profile supporters. It was also brass monkeys weather today. This tweet is a bit of a low blow.", reports the Mirror.

Adrian Chiles arrives at the funeral of Liam Payne.
(Image: Tony Kershaw / SWNS)





Adrian Chiles departs the funeral for singer Liam Payne.
(Image: WireImage)

Following Liam's passing, Adrian Chiles spoke about their friendship on his BBC Radio 5 Live show, saying: "I got to know him when he first did X Factor. He came up to me and said 'up the Albion' - he was a West Brom fan.

"Just as a sign as to how massive he was, I remember we snuck him into a Boxing Day game and I think his mum and dad came and sat with me. But we managed to secrete our man up in the commentary gantry so he didn't get bothered.

"Then a friend of mine texted me to ask 'why are West Brom trending number one on Twitter? ' I went, well it could be because Liam Payne is here and he tweeted he was here and the whole world went mad for it."

Liam, a former One Direction member, was a season ticket holder at the Hawthorns, and the club shared a heartfelt tribute to him after hearing the news of his passing. "We're shocked and saddened to learn of the passing of Baggies fan and musician, Liam Payne," the club wrote on social media.

"Our thoughts are with Liam's family, friends and loved ones at this tragic time," the club added.

Join the Irish Mirror’s breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive breaking news and the latest headlines direct to your phone. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice .