1994
Star sign: Aquarius
Home town: Cheshire
Eye colour: Green
Fave aftershave: Bleu de Chanel
Fave grooming product: Shampoo – I use L’Oreal Elvive
Best thing about being in One Direction: The four lads that I’m with
Born performer
“I started singing in primary school and was always in plays and shows, so I was performing from a young age. All I ever wanted to do was something that was well paid. I really liked the idea of being a singer, but I had no idea how to go about it.”
Early fame
“I formed a band called White Eskimo with some school friends. We performed locally and also won a battle of the bands competition. Winning that and playing to a lot of people really showed me that singing was what I wanted to do. I got such a thrill when I was in front of people that it made me want to do it more and more.”
Thanks mum!
“My 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
