Rita Ora had an emotional moment as she honoured the memory of her friend Liam Payne during this year’s MTV Europe Music Awards.

The chart-topping singer was on presenting duties during Sunday night’s ceremony, during which she “took a moment to remember someone that was very, very dear to us”.

“We lost him recently and he was a big part of the MTV world, and my world, and I think a lot of yours at home and everybody in here tonight,” Rita began, revealing: “There were so many ways that we were talking about honouring him and I think sometimes simply speaking is enough.”

The former X Factor judge continued: “Liam Payne was one of the kindest people that I knew. He had the biggest heart and was always the first person to offer help in any way that he could. 

“He brought so much joy into every room he walked into, and he left such a mark on this world. So, let’s just take a moment to remember our friend, Liam.”

Rita’s tearful speech concluded with a brief montage of clips of Liam, accompanied by the One Direction song Night Changes, which he co-wrote, and which saw a chart resurgence in the wake of his death last month.

Watch Rita’s speech for yourself below:

During his tenure as part of the hit boyband One Direction, Liam picked up a total of 12 EMA wins.

Rita and Liam previously collaborated on the Fifty Shades Freed cut For You, which peaked at number eight upon its release in 2018.

The pair performed the song together on a number of occasions, including on the Brit Awards stage in 2018 and during the lockdown benefit concert One World: Together At Home during the early stages of the Covid pandemic in 2020.