When Liam Payne auditioned for The X Factor in 2010 at age 16, it wasn't his first try at the show. He previously auditioned in 2008 when he was just 14, and while Simon Cowell put him through to the next round, he was ultimately eliminated and told he needed to grow up a little bit and work on his voice. Liam did just that and came back with something to prove in 2010, making it through several rounds before being put into a group with the rest of the boys who would become One Direction.
Before The X Factor, Liam was big into sports but also had a deep love of music. He also once belonged to a theatre group near where he grew up and performed on stage.