Kate Cassidy, the girlfriend of late One Direction star Liam Payne, is set to give her first television interview since his tragic death.
The American influencer, 25, will appear on ITV’s Lorraine Kelly next week to discuss the singer’s mental health struggles and the dark sides of fame, which Payne endured before his death in October last year.
Cassidy will be the first guest to appear on Lorraine’s new March4March campaign, aimed at supporting the one in four Britons who suffer from low mood.
The model has largely stayed away from the spotlight since Payne died after falling from a third-floor hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina – but the landmark interview will see Cassidy open up about her own grief journey and how she has coped in the months following the tragedy.
Cassidy will also be sharing both the positive memories from their two-year relationship and the challenges they faced.
Lorraine Kelly said of the campaign: “I’m so pleased we are launching a campaign dedicated to destigmatising the conversation around mental health.”
The model has kept herself out of the limelight since his death
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She recently broke her social media silence, posting a photo with Payne alongside the caption: “I thought this place would feel empty without you, but instead, it’s filled with the warmth of this moment we shared.”
The model had originally accompanied Payne to Argentina – where they supported the singer’s former bandmate Niall Horan during one of his concerts – but left early to care for their rescue dog, Nala, at their Florida home.
In a previous interview, Cassidy revealed they “had our own separate lives”, but she now wishes she had stayed in Argentina.
Lorraine’s March4March campaign aims to highlight the clinical evidence that exercise and movement can benefit mental health.
The programme asks viewers, celebrities, and team members to pledge to take steps throughout March.
The collective goal is to reach at least three million steps, metaphorically walking the entire length of the UK, leaving Kelly to add: “I’m looking forward to getting out walking and talking and I look forward to taking our amazing viewers along with me.”
The month-long mental health initiative will feature various celebrities sharing their personal stories, as the campaign seeks to normalise conversations around mental health struggles.
Kelly, 65, hopes the initiative will encourage more open dialogue about an issue affecting millions of Britons, as several celebrities have pledged their support for the March4March campaign.
Pete Wicks, Tyler West, Vicky Pattison, Vogue Williams, and Ellie Simmonds will all share their personal mental health stories in the hopes that their participation will help break down the stigma around mental health discussions.
Lorraine expressed gratitude to “the amazing names who’ve already agreed to bravely share their stories and pledge their support for such a worthy cause.”
Cassidy attended Payne’s funeral in Buckinghamshire last year and has largely remained out of the public eye since.
She recently shared a tribute on social media featuring a beaded phone charm with the number “444” and an “L” laced through the thread, with the figure “444” having a special significance in numerology as an “angel number”.
It is believed to represent that “angels are with you” and are “there to guide you step by step”.
The sequence symbolises stability and reassurance that one is not alone.
The model revealed her and Liam’s plans to get married months before his death
After Payne’s death, Cassidy referenced these angel numbers while revealing they had been planning to marry in the weeks before his passing.
She told The Sun: “It was a tragic accident… It still doesn’t feel fully real for me that he’s not here.”