One Direction Fans Swarm Liam Payne's Parents' House After Ticket Contest Goes Awry

Radio One inadvertently directed 100 people to the boy-bander's mom and dad's garden

By Rebecca Macatee Mar 22, 2013 5:53 PMTags
Liam Payne, One Direction Peter Kramer/NBC

Even if you think you've found the guy you're totally obsessed with, don't show up uninvited to his parents' house. (Trust me.)

Unfortunately, about 100 confused One Direction fans did just that, flocking to Liam Payne's mom and dad's garden in the hopes of finding hidden tickets to a 1D concert in Birmingham, England.

Per the Press Association, Free Radio, a U.K. station, was running a competition for two free tickets to the sold-out show. Among the clues for where to find these hidden tickets? "They are close to somewhere beautiful" that "could have been an ancient burial site," which somehow Directioners decided must be the Paynes' yard.

The boy-bander's besieged father, Geoff Payne, told the radio show he's "much better now that the competition is over" and the family has "had people loitering around the house for days on end now."

"I'm glad someone won it," he added. "There have been people hiding round corners looking for [the tickets]."

Free Radio apologized "wholeheartedly" to Liam's parents for the confusion.

Payniacs (assuming that's what you Liam fans like to be called), enthusiasm is great, but maybe tone it down a notch next time.