sweet

KATE Cassidy has posted a Valentine’s Day tribute to the late Liam Payne – declaring him her “best friend from afar”.

The social media star had been dating Liam for two years before his sudden death in October 2024 – and despite his passing, she makes sure to remember him on key dates.

This Valentine’s Day, Kate shared a never-before seen photograph of the pair in happier times.

The polaroid snap shows Kate sitting on Liam’s lap as they pose for the picture in somebody’s garden.

She simply noted: “Happy Valentine’s Day to my best friend from afar.”

Kate and Liam dated for from October 2022, through to the time of his death in October 2024. He was 31 years old.

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The One Direction star died after a horror fall from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, where he was due to attend his old bandmate Niall Horan’s show.

Kate had been holidaying with him in the country, but had returned to their home in Florida alone to look after their dog, Nala, just two days before the tragedy.

Kate has been left heartbroken by the loss, and continues to remember him by sharing photos, videos and memories on special occasions, including his birthday.

In February this year, Kate was seen in tears as she visited the UK home she once shared with the singer.

“I’ve been sitting outside of the house that I used to live in with Liam for the past 45 minutes just in my car and it’s just really hard to wrap my head around the fact that I’m not pulling in the driveway and going home to him being there,” she said.

“You really just never know what life is going to bring. Life can bring you plenty of happiness and plenty of joy, I’ve experienced it all.

“But I’ve never felt this much pain.”

When facing criticism for her public heartache, Kate hit back by reminding fans that he was a “real person in her life” and she can grieve how she wants.

In December last year, in retaliation to another fan who said they “wanted her to move on and stop talking about him”, she declared she will always love him.

Posting a video in tears, Kate said: “I want to make something clear. Whoever I end up with in my future will have to accept the fact I will always love Liam, I will always talk about Liam I will always laugh about Liam, I will always cry about Liam.”

She said she normally pays no mind to critical comments but this topic really riled her.

“Let me tell you something, Liam Payne was my boyfriend,” she continued. “He wasn’t just this famous figure to me. It hurts so bad because I am just criticized all the time for speaking about my boyfriend that passed away, the person that I loved and still do love.

“I would never settle for anyone in this lifetime who did not feel comfortable enough with me speaking about Liam.”

JOE Swash and stepson Zach put on a dapper display as they posed for snaps before attending the TV Choice Awards tonight. 

Zach, 17 – the eldest child of 44-year-old Joe’s wife Stacey Solomon – scrubbed up in a navy suit, white shirt and striped tie. 

While the former EastEnders star opted for a black suit which he teamed with a low-cut black T-shirt. 

He captioned his upload: “Zach & Me off to represent the Solomon Swash’s tonight at the @tvchoicemagazine awards. 

“Proud to be your +1 Zachy. Love you boy.”

But eagle-eyed fans were quick to notice Joe was trying his best to minimize the height difference between him and Zach – by standing on his tip toes. 

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One wrote: “The tiptoes haha love your relationship with all the kids.”

Another said: “Joe on his tippy toes.”

Someone else wrote: “Joe on your tip toes is cracking me.”

And a fourth added: “Love how Joe is trying to be taller than Zach.”

Stacey is also mum to 13-year-old Leighton from a previous relationship while she and Joe share Rex, six, Rose, four, and Belle, two.

Joe is dad so son Harry, 18, from his relationship with ex Emma Sophocleous.

Last month The Sun told how Stacey is desperate to get fans back on side after a flood of negative backlash over her ‘out of touch’ posts.

A source revealed: “The bottom line is Stacey is no longer relatable. 

“People think she flaunts her wealth and moans all the time – now Stacey’s being advised to rein it in and shut her mouth or risk ruining everything she’s worked so hard for.

“The plan is for Stacey to go back to basics and remember who her audience is. No more bragging about expensive holidays and keeping in mind not everybody is in her position.”

PHIL COLLINS’ daughter Lily has paid a sweet tribute to him on his 75th birthday after the star revealed he has a 24-hour live-in nurse.

The Emily in Paris star, 36, took to Instagram to share a series of pictures to commemorate the special occasion.

In the first snap, the father and daughter duo are seen smiling for the camera, while in another photo, polaroids of the pair are seen laid out onto the floor.

In the third picture, a baby Lily is seen being held by her suave looking dad in the sweet throwback.

Alongside them, she penned: “Yesterday dad turned 75 and I feel so grateful to have celebrated together.

“For all you’ve accomplished, all the joy you’ve brought so many all over the world for ALL these years, all the lessons we’ve learned, all the memories we’ve shared, and all the new ones to come, thank you.

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“I count myself so lucky to have hugged you, laughed with you, reminisced with you on such a monumental day.

“Proud is an understatement. Love you to the moon and back again…”

Her followers and fans of the iconic singer flocked to the comments section as one gushed: “Your dad’s music has brought so much joy to my life and fans worldwide.”

Another person wrote: “Love this @lilyjcollins – and such a great pic of you two!!”

While a third added: “Glad you could celebrate such a special birthday together.”

The Netflix star’s tribute to her dad comes after he gave a major health update following health woes in recent years.

He revealed that he now has a 24-hour live-in nurse after five knee surgeries and his kidneys also “packing up”.

During a conversation with Zoe Ball for Eras – In Conversation for BBC Two, the hitmaker divulged: “Yeah, it’s an ongoing thing. You know I have a 24-hour live-in nurse to make sure I take my medication as I should do. 

“I’ve had challenges with my knee, I had everything that could go wrong with me, did go wrong with me.

“I got COVID in hospital – my kidneys started to back up, you know, everything that started that could, all seemed to converge at the same time.

“I had five operations on my knee now – I’ve got a knee that works and I can walk, albeit with assistance, you know, crutches or whatever.”

But despite his ongoing health issues, the musician is keeping optimistic about the future.

He told the presenter: “The things that are ahead for me would be, apart from just being back to being totally mobile and healthy, is go in there and have a fiddle about and see if there’s more music ’cause you know, you tend to sort of feel, that’s it, I’ve done that.

“But you’ve gotta start doing it to see if you can do it. Otherwise you don’t do it. So that is something on my horizon.”

Phil’s music career started in 1970 when he became the drummer for Genesis.

While remaining with the band, he also had a solo career in the 1980s which included hits such as Against All Odds and Two Hearts.