Liam Payne addresses infamous Oscars accent: “I’d had a lot to drink”
"I actually read back what I said and I stand by what I said," says Payne
By Nick Reilly
Liam Payne has finally spoken about the self-described “ever-changing” accent he debuted in a now-infamous interview after the Oscars last month.
The former One Direction singer appeared on Good Morning Britain to discuss the notorious moment when Will Smith hit Chris Rock, hours after the incident took place.
But Payne’s bizarre accent soon threatened to overshadow the actual slap, with many left wondering why the Wolverhampton raised singer suddenly sounded like the bizarre lovechild of Wales and the Netherlands.
Speaking on Instagram Live last night (April 18), Payne said: “This was in Oscars week – the ever changing accent. I’m good at accents, I pride myself on them! I just wish sometimes I could do my own.”
Payne went on: “What can I say about that really? It was quite funny. I had asked Good Morning Britain, the presenter, I said, ‘Please don’t ask me too much because I’ve had a lot to drink and I’m under-ly educated about the Oscars [sic].’
“The very first question the man asked me was, ‘What do you think about Will Smith?’ Now can you imagine, imagine being put on the spot in that moment and knowing, ‘I can’t say anything wrong because I’m gonna upset someone’ and I just did the best I could.”
He added: “I actually read back what I said and I stand by what I said. But I’m just sorry it came out in so many accents! I’m not even sure if it’s an accent I can do.”
The ‘Strip That Down singer’ went on to claim that his accent changes when he is around people from different places and claimed that this is visible in his first X Factor audition.
“That day – I’ll tell you the truth – I was staying in a house with two German people, three people from Texas, one person from Liverpool and me. It sounded like one of those jokes people say where an Irishman and an Englishman walk into a pub,” he said.
Rounding off his justification, he said: “But it was funny, wasn’t it?”
Fair point.
During the initial interview, Payne explained that “Will Smith actually used to live behind my house” and went on to dissect the notorious moment.
He continued: “I believe whatever he felt that he did, he had the right to do. I also felt there were three losers in one fight. He didn’t know, being Chris Rock, he didn’t want to do what he had to do, being Will Smith, and she did nothing, being Jada.”
Meanwhile, Will Smith resigned from the Academy in the wake of the incident earlier this month.