Paul Roberts, choreographer for One Direction and Harry Styles, dies

Paul Roberts, a British choreographer who worked with major pop acts including One Direction and Harry Styles, died on the evening of September 26, 2025, after a battle with cancer, his partner Phil Griffin said. Griffin posted that Roberts passed away gently at home surrounded by family and described his departure as "filled with grace."

Over a career that spanned about 25 years, Roberts became one of the music industry's most sought after staging directors and choreographers. He trained at the Urdang Academy in London and went on to create choreography and stage direction for tours, television and music videos, collaborating with artists such as Harry Styles, Katy Perry, Sir Paul McCartney, the Spice Girls, One Direction, Sam Smith, Prince, Diana Ross, Ed Sheeran and Dolly Parton. Roberts won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Choreography in 2021 for Harry Styles's Treat People With Kindness video.

Roberts served as One Direction's staging director for several years, helping design the band's show tracks for film, stadium and television performances and shaping routine choreography for videos including Kiss You, Best Song Ever and Steal My Girl. He maintained working...