Former One Direction star Liam Payne has claimed his pal Zayn Malik was "forced" into The X Factor auditions by his mum Tricia.
Strip That Down singer Liam, 26, says that Zayn, 27, didn't want to try the singing contest out for himself, and doesn't think his pal enjoys the showbiz lifestyle he was thrust into.
The five-piece group were launched into a successful music career when One Direction became sought after teenage heartthrobs in 2010 after coming third-place on the show. "I remember Zayn telling us the story that it was his mum got him to go to the audition the day he didn't want to go and that was literally what we saw all the way through One Direction," Liam told Daily Star.