Former boyband star Ronan Keating has slammed the music industry in the wake of Liam Payne‘s death.

The Irish singer, 47, was a friend of the One Direction star, who died at age 31 after falling from a balcony in Buenos Aires earlier this month.

The Boyzone performer has now called out the industry for throwing teenagers into the limelight without properly preparing them for the challenges of showbiz.

Describing Payne as the ‘nicest fella’, Keating said he last saw Payne over a year ago in Dubai before sharing his own insight into what the pop world can be like.

‘These lads were put together at such a young age,’ he reflected during an appearance on Aussie radio program, the Kyle and Jackie O Show, on Friday.

Like Keating, Payne was just 16 years old when he joined One Direction in 2010.

‘The industry is a really difficult and a tough place,’ Keating added.

Former boyband star Ronan Keating (pictured on Friday) has slammed the music industry in the wake of Liam Payne ‘s death

The Irish singer, 47, was a friend of the One Direction star (pictured in January 2023), who died at age 31 after falling from a balcony in Buenos Aires earlier this month

Keating added that when he appeared as a judge on TV shows like The X Factor and The Voice later in his career, producers had a psychologist to assist contestants.

‘When a record company or a management company start a band, there’s none of that kind of stuff,’ he went on.

‘They only care about making it work financially,’ added co-host Kyle Sandilands.

‘Absolutely,’ agreed Keating, who added that Payne’s untimely and tragic death may lead to positive changes in the music industry.

Keating made the comments ahead of his appearance at the Melbourne Cup Carnival.

The popular singer will play an exclusive visit to Flemington Racecourse on November 7 to perform as part of the Crown Oaks Day festivities.

He will also put on a smaller performance for lucky guests at the VRC Crown Oaks Club Lunch on November 6, before his main set the following day.

Keating rose to fame alongside Shane Lynch, Keith Duffy, Michael ‘Mikey’ Graham and Stephen Gately in 90s boyband Boyzone, formed by pop manager Louis Walsh.

The group achieved international fame as well as six UK No.1s – including Words, No Matter What, All That Matters To Me and You Needed Me.

The band officially split in 2000, but often get back together for landmark tours – including the Back Again… No Matter What tour in 2009 – which was the last time they performed as a five-piece before Stephen’s death.

Stephen tragically died suddenly in 2009 of a congenital heart defect aged 33.

Describing Payne as the ‘nicest fella’, Keating said he last saw the beloved star over a year ago in Dubai before sharing his own views on an industry he entered at 16 years of age

The band also reunited in 2013 to celebrate their 20th anniversary with a tour and new releases.

In 2018, Boyzone then confirmed their plans to split for good after releasing one final album dedicated to their late bandmate Stephen.

One Direction singer Payne fell from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina on October 16.

Local police said they were initially responding to a 911 call ‘of an aggressive man who may have been under the effects of drugs and alcohol’.

Officials heard a loud sound in the courtyard before discovering his body just after 5pm, reported the BBC.

According to TMZ, Liam ‘had been acting erratic in the hotel lobby and smashed his laptop’ before he ‘had to be carried back to his room’.