Eoghan Quigg felt "extremely lonely" before he quit the music industry.
The 32-year-old former singer reached the final of 'The X Factor' in 2008 but had auditioned alongside Liam Payne - who died on Wednesday (16.10.24) at the age of 31 after falling from a balcony in Buenos Aires - in the years before he made a return to the show and joined One Direction.
While Liam went on to chart-topping success as part of the world's first billion-dollar boyband, alongside Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, and Zayn Malik, Eoghan released one album in 2009 and then decided to quit showbiz altogether.
Speaking on Talk TV, Eoghan explained: "It is extremely lonely. It is just a loop of a show, a tour bus, a plane, a hotel and then back to another show. It can get lonely so that's why I made the decision when I was 18 to come home.
"It wasn't really working out, and I was at peace with that but it's very difficult to come back down to earth as well. I had a close-knit family and a community at home where it was easier for me. I'm one of the lucky ones. I'm not sitting here comparing myself to the level that Liam got to. He was absolutely global."
Eoghan - who is in a relationship with Amy Campbell and has three-year-old daughter Emmy Belle with her - is "at peace" with how his 15 minutes came to an end, and recalled the last time he had a conversation with the tragic pop star as he came to see him just before going for the audition that eventually led to his global fame.
He said: "Obviously, mental health was about in 2008 but we never really talked about it and there wasn't the help and resources that we have now. We were just doing the same things all the time, it's very difficult to progress in the music industry. I had a lovely wee taste of it and I was at peace with that. I just wanted to come home and have a bit of normality.
"I always thought I'd get back to it, but I never did. I'm still involved in music and I have a family now, and I work in radio and other mediums. I'm at peace.
"This whole week, I just want people to remember Liam's legacy for what he did in One Direction. The last time I spoke to Liam was in December 2009. I did a show in [Liam's hometown] Wolverhampton. He came down to see me, and the last thing he told me, he said 'I'm going for 'The X Factor' again this year.' I wished him well but we never spoke ever again. To me, that's really sad. But he was one of those guys who when he put his mind to something, then he was gonna do it. I just want everyone to remember him for all the successful things he did. He was down-to-earth, energetic, and a bubbly lad. It's a very dark day for the music industry."
Eoghan eventually placed third behind JLS and Alexandra Burke on his edition of 'The X Factor', whilst Liam failed to progress past the Judge's Houses stage of the competition.
But he is "at complete contentment" with how things turned out for him and admitted that he wouldn't be "comfortable" with the idea of his own child going on a reality show these days amid the pressures that come with social media.
He said: "I'm at complete contentment with how it worked out for me. It is quite scary for young people and if my child asked me now if they could go on a reality show, I wouldn't be comfortable. Just with all the toxicity of social media.
"When I was on 'The X Factor' in 2008, it wasn't really that big, it was just starting out and I count my blessings for that because it's such a dark place."
