mum is always telling me that I’m a good singer and it was her who put the X Factor application in for me. Obviously, I was hopeful that the judges would like me as well. It would have been a major setback in my plans for world domination if they hadn’t.”
The boys on Harry
Niall: “Curly!”
Louis: “He’s the cheeky one definitely.”
Niall: “And he’s also curly.”
Louis: “He’s a massive flirt but also a great friend to all of us, very easy to talk to.”
Zayn
Name: Zayn Javaad Malik
Born: 12 January 1993
Star sign: Capricorn
Home town: Bradford
Eye colour: Hazel
Fave aftershave: Unforgivable by Sean John
Fave grooming product: Hair wax
Best thing about being in One Direction: All the free clothes and I get to do what I love every day
Larger than life
“I’ve always been the loud one in my house. In fact I was so hyperactive that once my mum even took me to the doctor.”
A different direction
“I’ve acted since I was 12 and I’ve been in a lot of shows because I was at a performing arts school. When I was younger, I always wanted to be an actor, but I also really liked the idea of becoming a drama teacher. Louis and I are very similar like that – he wanted to do the same.”
High hopes
“I remember my drama teacher telling me that if I carried on and worked hard I could really make something of myself, but I thought she probably said that to everyone so I took it with a pinch of salt.”
The boys on Zayn
Louis: “If I wanna break the rules or start being mischievous, he’s the one to do it with.”
Zayn: “No I’m not!”
Liam: “Zayn’s quite quiet as well. When he first meets someone he’s not as chatty.”
Zayn: “I was shy before the competition but now that I’ve been with the boys I’ve come out of my shell a bit.”
Niall
Name: Niall James Horan
Born: 13 September 1993
Star sign: Virgo
Home town: Westmeath, Ireland
Eye colour: Blue
Fave aftershave: Armani Mania
Fave grooming product: L’Oreal Homme wax and clay
Best thing about being in One Direction: That we all get along
Small town, big dreams
“The town where I live is really nice but quite small and there isn’t much for young people to do. I love playing guitar and I spent most of my time just hanging out with my friends or singing, and obviously all that singing is what led me to The X Factor.”
Talent spotted
“When I went to secondary school, everyone realized that I could sing, so I started entering talent shows and even won a few of them here and there. While I was doing one of the talent shows, a guy asked me if I wanted to take part in a local Stars in Their Eyes-type competition. Although I didn’t win, I got a lot of good local press, which was pretty cool.”
The boys on Niall
Harry: “Niall’s the one that we all envy because he gets to be really immature because he has a babyface. I’m the youngest, but everyone thinks he is.”
Liam: “He’s very carefree. I’d call him a free spirit.”
THE MAKING OF ONE DIRECTION
How the legend began…
It seems strange now to think that the boys haven’t always been in a group. They each came to The X Factor as nervous solo artists, hoping against hope that this could be the day that their lives changed beyond all recognition. They all knew how important the auditions were. After all there are TV shows and TV shows, but The X Factor is very special. Every wannabe singer in the UK would love to be on it.
But things didn’t go to plan. Although all five boys performed very strongly and the judges liked them it was felt they all lacked experience. And at the final stage it seemed like it was all over when the boys were told they hadn’t got through. They were gutted. Their dreams in tatters, they left the stage. Then someone said they wanted the lads on stage because the judges had an announcement to make. Harry, Louis, Liam, Niall and Zayn had no idea what was coming next.
Liam says, “When Nicole told us that she thought we were too talented to let us go and they wanted us to form a group, my head started spinning. She said, ‘You’re going to get the chance to see what it’s like to be a group.’ Then Simon told us that they’d decided to put us through to the Judges’ Houses and we had a real shot at the competition. I don’t think any of us knew what to say.”
“I was crying like a little baby,” grins Louis, laughing at the memory.
The boys screamed and hugged each other, jumping up and down in excitement. But moments later reality hit. Being in a band was a risk. What happened if they didn’t get on?
“When Simon told us that we were going to be part of a group, I whooped. And then I panicked. What if there was one person we didn’t get on with?” Harry remembers.
There was no precedent for this. It had never happened before. The boys were making X Factor history. But as the lads looked at each other, they all knew they were prepared to do whatever it took to get their chance.
Decision made, there was one thing they had to do and quickly. Find a name. The boys came up with lots of different ideas, but none of them seemed quite right. Then Harry had an idea, “We’ve all wanted the same thing from the start, so I came up with the name One Direction.”
As soon as Niall, Liam, Louis and Zayn heard it, they loved it. It just sounded right for them. It summed up exactly what they were about and it sounded good. One Direction it was to be. And they certainly made their impact on the show. From the very beginning it was obvious that the boys had exactly the right attitude. And they were now all dedicated to making the group a success. And that’s what it takes to make it to the top: talent, hard work, team spirit and most of all a positive attitude. The world had better get ready: One Direction had arrived.
One Direction it was to be.
OUR GREAT BIG ONE DIRECTION QUIZ
Think