Niall Horan: 107 incredible facts about the 'Heaven' singer
We can't get enough of the former One Direction star!
Pop star Niall Horan was part of one of the world's biggest boybands - One Direction! Niall enjoyed global success alongside Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, and the late Liam Payne, who tragically passed away in October 2024. Despite the band going on hiatus, it didn't stop the former The X Factor contestants having amazing solo careers, with Niall now having three solo albums.
Following Niall finishing his highly-anticipated tour 'The Show Live on Tour', you can find out all you need to know about the singer-songwriter right here...
Niall's tribute to Liam Payne
The sad and shocking news was revealed on 16th October 2024 that Liam Payne had tragically passed away. The former One Direction and solo star sadly died after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina, with floods of tributes pouring in for the singer.
In a joint statement shared to the One Direction Instagram page, Niall, Harry, Louis and Zayn shared a tribute to their former band mate and 'brother'. The post read: 'We're completely devastated by the news of Liam's passing.
'In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say. But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly. The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever.
'For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends, and the fans who loved him alongside us. We will miss him terribly. We love you Liam.'
They signed it off with their names: 'Louis, Zayn, Niall and Harry'.
Niall Horan's third album 'The Show'
Niall has been performing on his tour, which is in support of his third solo album 'The Show'. He revealed this album is different from his others because it is 'experiential'. The singer told fans as part of a Q&A session that: "When I wrote my first album I was 22 or 23 probably. I think things change, life changes, you grow up, your influences change a little bit, you want to be more experimental."
In June 2023, Niall released 'You Could Start a Cult' from the deluxe edition of the album, called 'The Show: The Encore'. He collaborated with American singer Lizzy McAlpine for a duet edition in October the same year.
Niall also released the second song from his album in April 2023, called 'Meltdown'. Niall explained to his fans that the song is about: "That panicky moment of feeling a little bit anxious and not sure if you're going to get out of it."
The singer released his comeback song 'Heaven' on 17th February 2023. Telling us the inspiration behind the song, he said: "I just started singing that chorus in the studio one night, like one o’clock in the morning... What does that match up to in my life?
"We're kinda told to kinda hit like all these milestones like through past generations and society or whatever. You have to have this career by that age, you have to get married at that age, you have to do this at this age.
"I’ve always been a bit of a person that kind of just lives in the moment, type people. Does things in my own time and I feel like we should all kind of be like that, a little bit."
Niall's album 'The Show' was certified Silver by the BPI in May 2024, translating to 60,000 album sales in the UK alone - pretty impressive!
What was Niall's response to Harry Styles' BRIT Awards acceptance speech?
On 11th February 2023, Harry picked up four BRIT Awards, and during one of the acceptance speeches he told his fans that he wanted to thank his former One Direction bandmates.
We caught up with Niall and asked him how it felt to be mentioned, he said: "Yeah, it was really cool, really cool to get a mention," Niall told us. "We’ve been on that stage together winning an award before and now it’s Harold’s turn on his own, so appreciate the thanks."
Are Niall Horan and Harry Styles going to do a collaboration?
There is no word yet on whether Niall and Harry are going to do a collaboration. There are a number of reasons why fans think the pair have done a song together, from the colours used in Niall’s album artwork, to what you could see through the doors on the website promoting 'Harry’s House'.
Was Niall on The Voice US?
Yes, Niall was a coach on The Voice US! Along with Blake Shelton, Kelly Clarkson and Chance The Rapper, Niall took to the red chair for Season 23 of the talent show. Of course, Niall himself started out on a TV talent show - The X Factor - so he'll have had an extra insight into what the contestants are thinking.
Speaking about role when he joined the show, he said: "I’m excited to be joining this season of The Voice as a Coach. I’m looking forward to meeting and mentoring the new crop of talent while we battle it out with the other teams!"
Niall was also featured on heat's Rich List 2022, being worth a reported £58.4 million!
How old is Niall Horan?
- Niall Horan was born on 13th September 1993, making him currently 31-years-old. Just like his One Direction bandmate Liam, Niall is a Virgo. According to the star sign he is analytical, observant, helpful, reliable and precise.
- Niall shares his birthday (13th September) with a number of famous people including cricketer Shane Warne, legendary author Roald Dahl and US athlete Michael Johnson.
- Niall is the second youngest member of 1D – behind Harry.
Niall Horan: Basic facts
- Just like Liam, Niall’s middle name is James.
- Niall is approximately 5 feet and 8 inches tall. The same height as Louis Tomlinson.
- Niall’s shoe size is eight.
- Niall’s natural hair colour is dark brown.
- Niall is left-handed. A variety of studies suggest that approximately one in 10 people are left-handed.
Who are Niall Horan's family?
- Niall’s mum is called Maura Gallagher and his dad’s name is Bobby Horan.
- Niall has an older brother called Greg.
- Niall’s first pets were two goldfish called Tom and Jerry. Unfortunately they died when Niall’s older brother Greg accidentally overfed them!
- When he was little, Niall had an imaginary friend called Michael. He’s since tried to deny it in interviews claiming Michael was a real person.
- In December 2011, Niall had transparent white braces fixed to his teeth.
Where is Niall Horan from?
- Unfortunately Niall’s mum and dad split up when he was just five-years-old. He and Greg divided their time between the two homes but eventually they stayed with their dad Bobby in Mullingar, County Westmeath in Ireland.
- Niall’s mum Maura remarried and lives in the nearby Edgeworthstown with her husband Chris.
- Niall attended the Catholic secondary school Coláiste Mhuire in Mullingar.
- Before secondary school, Niall attended St Kenny National School.
- Always a showman, when he was nine Niall played the lead role of Oliver in the St Kenny National School production of Oliver Twist.
What is Niall Horan's nickname?
- Niall’s nickname is Nialler. Makes sense!
Niall Horan on The X Factor
- In early 2010, months before his appearance on The X Factor, Niall supported Lloyd Daniels at the Academy 2 in Dublin. There are clips of his performance of Justin Bieber’s ‘Baby’ at the gig on YouTube.
- Niall decided to audition for The X Factor on the night Joe McElderry won, on 13th December 2009.
- While waiting outside for his first X Factor audition in Dublin, Niall entertained the crowd by performing a cover of Justin Bieber’s ‘One Time’ on his guitar.
- Niall didn’t think he’d progress very far in The X Factor. He said, "When I was in Dublin I looked around, and there’s like 8,000 people at the auditions, and I’m thinking ‘not a hope, there’s not a chance of me getting anywhere’."
- Niall sang Ne-Yo’s ‘So Sick’ in the X Factor first round and received glowing praise from Louis Walsh.
- A big Oasis fan, Niall covered ‘Champagne Supernova’ at X Factor bootcamp.
Niall Horan in One Direction
- Niall once said that it would be a huge achievement if One Direction could get close to achieving Take That, N’Sync and The Backstreet Boys’ success. He said, "Hopefully we can emulate a tiny bit of their success because if we were to get anywhere near that it would be a very big achievement."
- While he loves his female followers, Niall would like more male One Direction fans. He told blog Storyboard, "We want to see more boy fans, as seeing them in the crowd is cool. It's 90% girls, but we want to expand our fan base. We want different people to like us."
- On One Direction’s debut album ‘Up All Night’, Niall has about 1 minute and 25 seconds of solos – the least out of all five members.
- When 1D were on the road, Niall revealed he loved to chat to his friends and family via Skype on the tour bus.
- When One Direction reached Number 1 in the US with ‘Up All Night’, Katy Perry personally took to Twitter to congratulate Niall. A guest judge on The X Factor in 2010, she was initially hesitant to put Niall through to the next round and told him at the time "Don’t let us down." Referencing this, she tweeted, '@NiallOfficial congratulations, you didn't let me down! xo.'
- Niall is notoriously noisy. Liam Payne commented, "You usually hear Niall before you see him." Hilarious!
- Despite their huge success, Niall spoke to Dermot O'Leary about how life in One Direction could feel like a "prison" at times, "I really struggled with the idea, 'Why won’t you just let us out? We just want to go for a walk!' But you can’t get inside the brain of a fan. Now I completely get it, but at the time we were like, 'You’re our age, will you just let us out so we can walk down the street! You must understand.'"
- Along with the other members of One Direction, Niall took to his socials on 23rd July 2020 to share a photo of the boys performing, writing, 'When I met these four gents there was no way I thought we would go on to do what we did. So many unbelievable memories we shared together. We felt the adoration of millions from around the planet on a daily basis and it was mind blowing.'
Which musical instruments can Niall Horan play?
- Niall is an accomplished guitar player and was a fervent follower of indie music growing up.
- Niall says the best Christmas present he has ever received is his guitar.
Niall Horan's solo music career so far
- Since One Direction announced they were taking a break back in 2016, Niall released his debut album 'Flicker' in February 2017, which spawned incredible songs 'This Town' and 'Slow Hands' and reached Number 3 in the UK.
- Niall's first solo single was 'This Town' which was released on the 10th June 2016 — and is certified 2x Platinum.
- Niall Horan's single 'On The Loose' was the fourth to be released from his debut album 'Flicker', but did not make the UK Top 40.
- Niall Horan's songs have been incredible popular with his fans - especially his second single, 'Slow Hands', which peaked at Number 7 on the UK charts.
- 'Slow Hands' is also Niall's highest-charting single as of October 2024.
- Niall embarked on his 'Flicker' world tour in 2018.
- While on his world tour he invited a young fan on stage and their performance together was super cute!
- Niall released his second album, 'Heartbreak Weather', on 13th March, featuring singles, 'Nice To Meet Ya', 'Put A Little Love On Me' and 'No Judgement' - which has a slightly bonkers music video!
Who does Niall Horan want to collaborate with?
- Niall once said he wanted One Direction to collaborate with Eminem one day!
- Another dream 1D collaboration for Niall Horan was Labrinth, who he believes is "super talented."
- Niall and Lewis Capaldi sparked collaboration rumours in October 2019 when Lewis posted a series of photos of the two of them together. These photos caused fans to go wild over the prospect of the pair collaborating, however nothing has been confirmed.
- Despite this, Lewis did tell us on the red carpet of the Q Awards that he has already recorded a song with Niall, but it was a while ago and he isn't sure if it will be released. The pair have also performed together, singing 'Teenage Dream' by Katy Perry.
WATCH: Lewis tells us about the song he has recorded with Niall Horan
What awards has Niall Horan won?
- Niall has won many awards, including the Favorite Breakout Artist at the People's Choice Awards in 2017; the Teen Choice Awards 2017 Choice Song: Male Artist for 'Slow Hands' and New Artist of the Year at the American Music Awards in the same year.
- 'Slow Hands' also won the Pop Award Songs award at the BMI London Awards in 2018.
- Niall was voted the hottest male of 2011 by Sugarscape magazine, beating all of his One Direction bandmates!
Which TV shows does Niall Horan like?
- Niall Horan is a massive fan of Stranger Things. After the release of Stranger Things 3, the singer tweeted how he had binge-watched the first four episodes. On seeing Niall's tweet, Louis Tomlinson said he would watch Stranger Things with Niall if he wanted, even though he isn't a fan.
Niall Horan: Dating rumours
- Despite the eight-year age gap, Paloma Faith once said she fancies Niall! She told We Love Pop, "I love him. He can be my toyboy. I wouldn't mind having a younger boyfriend."
- Niall has been romantically linked with Skins actress Freya Mavor and singer Demi Lovato. Both rumours were rubbished by Niall!
- Although she has denied tabloid reports of a romance, Demi Lovato once said she thought that Niall is “sweet.”
- Niall’s first kiss was with a French exchange student when he was "11 or 12" years old. He admits he was "really nervous" at the time.
- Niall once admitted he fancied the pants off TV presenter Christine Lampard. He enthused, "I'm in love. Christine is amazing, so amazing. I love her! Seriously, she is my NBF, my new best friend - she is utterly incredible. I also think she's gorgeous... I like the older woman." Sadly for Niall, Christine is married to Frank Lampard!
- Niall doesn’t like it when girls pretend to act dumb. He reportedly once tweeted, 'I hate it when girls act stupid 'cause they think it's cute. Intelligence is sexy.'
- Niall once said he had a big crush on Katy Perry. He says, "Katy Perry still gets me every time. She's very funny in person! We met at the Teen Choice Awards and she pulled my cheeks apart and told me how cute I was. My life was literally flashing before my eyes!"
- Niall thinks that not having a boyfriend or girlfriend isn’t a bad thing. He explains, "Being single doesn’t mean you’re weak, it means you’re strong enough to wait for what you deserve." Speaking of girlfriends - who is Niall Horan's girlfriend right now?
- There were many rumours that Niall has been dating Killing Eve actress Jodie Comer, but after he shut down the rumours, he confirmed he's actually dating Amelia Woolley!
WATCH: Top 10 Facts About Niall Horan You Probably Didn't Know:
Niall Horan: Sports
- Niall supports English football club Derby County. After attending his first game aged four, throughout his childhood Niall regularly flew from Ireland to the UK to attend games.
- Niall has a very bizarre good luck mascot – a pair of white socks. Erm, ok then!
- In 2006 Niall was the Derby County mascot at an away game against Luton Town.
- Niall is a keen golfer. He fell over whilst caddying for Rory Mcllroy at The Masters in 2015.
- Niall owns his own personalised cap. In emerald green (his home nation Ireland’s colour) it has his name embroidered on the back.
- Niall also owns a golf management company called Modest!.
- Niall once told us that his ideal way to relax is to "sit back, get the feet up on the couch. On a Monday watch some Monday night football; through the week watch movies and on a weekend watch the sports channels."
Niall Horan's famous friends
- Niall bought Liam Payne's son, Bear Grey Payne, a present when he was born.
- Justin Bieber follows Niall on Twitter and the good friends regularly chat on the social networking site. We spot a bromance!!
- According to former Boyzone star Keith Duffy, Niall is “a smashing lad” and is “really down to earth.
- Niall once challenged Olly Murs to a fight. Thankfully it was just Twitter banter and the good friends never got involved in fisticuffs!
- In May 2012, Niall performed an acoustic rendition of ‘Heart Skips A Beat’ with Olly Murs. The video, shot backstage during 1D’s North American tour, has now racked up almost 1 million views on YouTube.
- The pair also appeared on Celebrity Gogglebox for Stand Up 2 Cancer in October 2016.
- Niall still hangs out with the One Direction boys, here he is with Louis Tomlinson.
Niall Horan's music tastes
- The first gig Niall ever went to was Busted in Dublin when he was 10-years-old.
- Niall once said his favourite song of all time is ‘Viva La Vida’ by Coldplay.
- Alongside Coldplay, Niall is a big fan of rock bands The Eagles, Bon Jovi and The Script.
- One of Niall’s biggest idols is Michael Bublé. He describes the Canadian crooner as an "absolute hero".
- In 2012, Niall presented a #1DHQ show for Hits Radio. His playlist was, Katy Perry ‘Last Friday Night’, Maroon 5 ‘Moves Like Jagger’, One Direction ‘One Thing’, JLS ‘Do You Feel What I Feel?’, Kelly Rowland ‘Commander’, Ne-Yo ‘So Sick’ and One Direction ‘What Makes You Beautiful’.
- Niall absolutely loves singing in the shower. He told TOTP magazine, "I sing all the time in the shower! I'll sing whatever's in the charts. Today I was singing 'It Will Rain' by Bruno Mars."
- Niall’s favourite Valentine’s Day song is Van Morrison’s 1972 classic ‘Crazy Love’. Niall became aware of the track when Michael Bublé covered it in 2009.
- Niall’s favourite album of all time is Bon Jovi’s ‘Greatest Hits’. Michael Bublé’s ‘Crazy Love’ is a close second.
- Niall’s favourite song on One Direction's album ‘Up All Night’ is the Rami Yacoub, Carl Falk and Savan Koetcha penned ‘One Thing’. The single reached Number 9 in the UK.
- When Niall first landed in Los Angeles with One Direction he celebrated by singing Miley Cyrus’s ‘Party In The USA’.
Niall Horan: Likes and Dislikes
- Niall suffers from claustrophobia – a fear of small and confined spaces. Speaking to the Sunday Mirror about the condition, Niall’s dad Bobby said, "There are hordes of young girls around him, and not much room to breathe anywhere. He says it can be frightening. Coming out of airports and girls crowding around their cars, he's started to get really claustrophobic."
- As well as claustrophobia, Niall has a fear of pigeons. He explained: "I get really nervous if pigeons are flying around before shows. I can't stand them after one once flew in through my bathroom window and went for me while I was having a wee. That was enough. I think pigeons target me." Poor Niall!
- For his 18th birthday, Niall’s 1D bandmates bought him a life-size model of President Barack Obama. Niall later accidentally knocked one of Obama’s arms off. D'oh!
- Niall was starstruck when he met Michelle Obama at The White House. He told Digital Spy, "She's an amazing-looking lady, and I'm a massive Barack Obama fan anyway."
- Niall is a big fan of giraffes. He’s even been photographed by paparazzi cuddling a toy one! Explaining why he loves them so, Niall said, "They’re so long, I wish I was one, then maybe I’d be taller."
- Niall’s favourite movie of all time is Grease. He’s also a fan of horror movies.
- Niall has too many favourite foods to mention! He’s especially fond of pizza and jokes that he’d rather eat a slice than kiss a girl.
- Niall has revealed that his favourite song of Harry Styles' is 'As It Was'.
Niall Horan hilarious stories
- In October 2011, Niall was late for a 4music interview. As his 1D bandmates waited, in the background Niall fell flat on his bum when he tripped over as he raced to make it on time. Rather than take sympathy, Harry Styles asked the TV crew: "Did you get that on camera?!"
- On some days Niall chooses not to wear any underwear! “I like to go free and easy from time to time,” he told Metro.
- Niall got food poisoning after 1D’s spring tour of Australia and New Zealand. As he was about to board the 11,000 mile flight home, he tweeted, 'Not feeling the best! sore all over! under the weather as they say!'
- A piece of vegemite toast that Niall had half-eaten in Sydney, Australia was put up on eBay in 2012. Bogus bids reached over £100,000!!
- When One Direction were involved in a minor car accident in January 2012, Niall laughed afterwards! He explained to Now Magazine, "I don’t know why, but I thought it was funny – it felt like being in bumper cars."
What is Niall Horan like?
- Niall admits he still gets nervous before live shows. He told Digital Spy, “When we first started out the thought of getting up on stage freaked us all out. The kind of crowds we get are very, very loud which helps. The bigger the crowd the better really! The noise calms your nerves."
- Niall says he’s only read one book in its entirety – the American classic ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’.
- Niall is great at mimicking accents – especially Scottish, Geordie and American ones.
- Niall thinks that his best qualities are he’s “a good laugh, honest and generous.”
- Niall often speaks in his sleep, a condition called somniloquy.
- Niall would make “a wonderful husband”, according to his dad Bobby.
- Niall’s dad has also described him as "a real gent, a lovely, well-mannered, well brought-up lad."
- Niall himself admits he’s "an emotional guy" who wears his heart on his sleeve.
Niall Horan's social media
- Niall’s Twitter address is @NiallOfficial.
- Niall helped one of his fans come out to his parents in the best way. Niall met one of his biggest fans, Garrett, who documented his story on social media.
Scroll through to see how One Direction have changed through the years...
2010: One Direction were born on The X Factor
One Direction formed on The X Factor in 2010. Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik auditioned as individual contestants and were put together as a group by Simon Cowell and guest judge Nicole Scherzinger.
2010: One Direction finish in third place on The X Factor
Despite racking up an army of fans during their time on the show, One Direction didn't win The X Factor. Instead they finished in third place behind Rebecca Ferguson and winner Matt Cardle.
2011: One Direction release first single 'What Makes You Beautiful'
After landing a record deal following their appearance on The X Factor, One Direction released their first ever single 'What Makes You Beautiful' in September 2011.
The single, which hit the Number 1 spot in the UK charts, served as the lead single from their debut album 'Up All Night'.
2011: One Direction release their debut album 'Up All Night'
The 1D boys recorded their debut album in the UK, America and Sweden, releasing 'Up All Night' in November 2011 in the UK and Ireland.
The album featured lead single 'What Makes You Beautiful', as well as future singles, 'Gotta Be You' and 'One Thing'.
2011: One Direction return to The X Factor
After a successful year in the music industry, One Direction returned to the show that made them famous, to perform their single 'Gotta Be You'.
2011-2012: The Up All Night Tour
Following the success of their debut album, One Direction kicked off their 'The Up All Night Tour' in December 2011, going on to play 54 dates across the UK, Ireland, Oceania and North America.
The tour was an instant success, with tickets for all dates selling out within a matter of minutes of going on sale. The tour was later turned into a DVD, titled Up All Night: The Live Tour.
2012: One Direction release second album 'Take Me Home'
One Direction didn't wait long before they released their second studio album! Titled 'Take Me Home', the boys dropped the album in November 2012, with it going on to top the charts in 35 countries!
'Take Me Home' featured singles such as 'Live While We're Young', 'Kiss You' and 'Little Things'.
2012: One Direction win their first ever BRIT Award
2012 was a great year for One Direction! The band picked up their first ever BRIT Award in the British Single category, for their debut single 'What Makes You Beautiful'.
The band beat the likes of Adele, Ed Sheeran, JLS and Olly Murs to pick up the gong, which became the first of seven for the band over the years.
2012: One Direction launch their own dolls
As if dominating the charts wasn't enough, the One Direction boys teamed up with Hasbro in 2012 to launch their very own range of plastic dolls.
2013: The Take Me Home Tour
After the worldwide success of their debut tour, One Direction went on their 'Take Me Home' tour in 2013, playing at sold-out shows in countries like England, China, Australia and America.
2013: One Direction: This Is Us
Whilst touring the world with the 'Take Me Home' tour in 2013, One Direction released a 3D-documentary film about their time on the road, titled One Direction: This Is Us.
The film, which showed clips of the boys on stage and behind the scenes, grossed $68 million worldwide.
2013: One Direction release their third album 'Midnight Memories'
Just weeks after finishing their massive 'Take Me Home' tour, One Direction dropped their third studio album, titled 'Midnight Memories'.
The album flew straight to Number 1 in both the UK and the US, becoming the fastest selling album of 2013, despite being released just a few weeks before 2014.
The record featured the singles, 'Best Song Ever', 'Story of My Life', 'Midnight Memories', and 'You & I'.
2013: One Direction release charity single for Comic Relief
The One Direction boys did their bit for charity in 2013, mashing-up a medley of Blondie's 'One Way or Another' and The Undertones' 'Teenage Kicks'.
The track titled 'One Way Or Another (Teenage Kicks)' was released as the official Red Nose Day single in 2013, with then Prime Minister David Cameron even making a cameo appearance in the music video.
2013: One Direction land in Madame Tussauds
In 2013, One Direction become the first boy band to be created into waxworks for Madame Tussauds London since The Beatles' figures in 1964.
The waxworks were one of the museum's most popular instalments of the last decade, and we can see why!
2014: The Where We Are Tour
Following on from their mammoth 2013 tour, the 1D boys went back out on the road in 2014, this time with their 'Where We Are Tour'.
Playing at sold-out dates across the world, the tour ran between April and October, with the boys performing at 69 shows in total.
The tour was the band's biggest to date, with over 3,439,560 million fans turning up to see their idols perform.
2014: One Direction release their fourth album
Released in November 2014, One Direction released their final album as a five-piece, titled 'Four'.
The album, which featured hits like 'Steal My Girl' and 'Stockholm Syndrome', debuted at Number 1 in a massive 18 countries!
2015: One Direction kick off their On The Road Again Tour
In February 2015, Harry, Zayn, Liam, Louis and Niall kicked off their fourth tour, titled 'On The Road Again'. The tour, which turned out to be their last as a band of five, grossed $208 million from 80 shows.
2015: Zayn announces he's leaving
Zayn Malik broke the hearts of many One Direction fans in March 2015, announcing he was leaving the popular group.
One Direction said in a statement at the time, "After five incredible years Zayn Malik has decided to leave One Direction. Niall, Harry, Liam and Louis will continue as a four-piece and look forward to the forthcoming concerts of their world tour and recording their fifth album, due to be released later this year."
2015: One Direction continues as a group of four
Harry, Louis, Niall and Liam continued One Direction as a four-piece, finishing their 'On The Road Again' tour in October 2015.
2015: One Direction release their final album
The One Direction boys dropped their first album as a four-piece in November 2015, titled 'Made In The A.M.'
The album, which turned out to be the band's last, featured singles like 'Drag Me Down', 'Perfect' and 'History', and went on to be the sixth best-selling album of 2015.
2015: One Direction announce their hiatus
Much to the heartbreak of fans across the world, One Direction announced they would be taking an extended hiatus, which would start in 2016.
2015: One Direction return to The X Factor for a final time
After confirming they were set to take a break, Harry, Louis, Liam and Niall performed at The X Factor final in December 2015, leaving fans in tears as they performed 'History'.
Simon Cowell thanked the band for their hard work over the years, expressing his admiration for the group.
2016: One Direction start their hiatus
Following their final televised performance on Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve on 31st December 2015, the One Direction boys went their separate ways, all going on to release solo music.
2016: Louis Tomlinson becomes a dad
In January 2016, Louis announced the birth of his son Freddie Reign Tomlinson with his ex-girlfriend Brianne Jungwirth.
The singer uploaded this cute photo to his Instagram page and wrote on Twitter, 'I'm pleased to say my baby son was born yesterday :) He is healthy and pretty amazing :) I'm very happy!!'. (sic)
'I Don't Wanna Live Forever' with Zayn - 2017
This track was recorded for the soundtrack to 'Fifty Shades Darker', it was the most popular hit from the movie franchise.
Listen to 'I Don't Wanna Live Forever' on YouTube.
2016: Niall Horan releases his debut solo single 'This Town'
Niall delighted One Direction fans in September 2016 when he dropped his debut solo single 'This Town'. The track was the lead single from his debut album 'Flicker' which was released in 2017.
The singer went on to release hits such as 'Slow Hands' and 'Nice To Meet Ya', before dropping his second solo album, titled 'Heartbreak Weather' in March 2020.
2016: Louis Tomlinson teams up with Steve Aoki
Louis teamed up with American DJ Steve Aoki to release his debut solo single 'Just Hold On' in December 2016. Just days after the tragic death of his mum Johannah Deakin, Louis gave an emotional performance of the track on The X Factor.
The singer went on to release hits like 'Miss You', 'Back To You' and 'We Made It', before dropping his debut solo album 'Walls' in January 2020.
2017: One Direction win their seventh BRIT Award
Despite being on a hiatus, Liam and Louis attended the 2017 BRIT Awards to collect the band's seventh BRIT Award! The band picked up an award in the Best Video category for their single 'History'.
2017: Liam Payne becomes a dad
In March 2017, after one of the most secretive pregnancies ever, Liam announced he'd become a dad after his then girlfriend Cheryl Cole had given birth to a baby boy called Bear Grey Payne.
The couple split in 2018.
2017: Harry Styles releases debut solo music
After much anticipation, in April 2017 Harry released his debut solo single 'Sign Of The Times', showing a complete different sound to One Direction.
The singer went on to release his self-titled debut album in the same year, before dropping his second album 'Fine Line' in 2019.
In May 2020, Harry excited fans by releasing the amazing music video for his latest single 'Watermelon Sugar'.
2017: Liam Payne kicked off his solo career
Liam dropped his debut solo single 'Strip That Down' in 2017, before going on to release hits like 'Get Low', 'For You' and 'Bedroom Floor'.
Despite making fans wait, Liam went on to drop his debut solo album 'LP1' in December 2019, before teaming up with Alesso for the single 'Midnight' in 2020.
2017: Harry Styles made his acting debut
After releasing his debut solo music, Harry also landed a role in Christopher Nolan's box office movie Dunkirk!
Harry played the role of a young solider called Alex, as hundreds of thousands of soldiers tried to evacuate from Dunkirk beach during the early stages of World War II.
2020: Zayn Malik announces he's going to become a dad
After years of dating on and off, in 2020 American model Gigi Hadid announced she was expecting her first child with former 1D singer Zayn Malik! They welcomed a baby girl called Khai in September 2020, before splitting in October 2021.
2020: One Direction reunion rumours
After years of working on their solo careers, rumours of a One Direction reunion really started to become more frequent in 2020, as the boys celebrate their 10th year anniversary.
Despite a number of the lads teasing the possibility of a 1D reunion, it didn't materialise.
2022: One Direction's 'Drag Me Down' music video reaches 1 billion views
In May 2022, One Direction's 'Drag Me Down' music video reached 1 billion views on YouTube. The song was originally released in 2015, it was the first music video to not feature former member Zayn Malik, who had left earlier that year.
2023: One Direction's 'What Makes You Beautiful' reaches 1 billion streams
'What Makes You Beautiful' was the debut song released by One Direction back in 2011 and in August it reached 1 billion streams. It has already surpassed 1 billion views for the music video on YouTube.
2023: Harry thanks Niall, Louis, Liam and Zayn as he collects four BRIT Awards
At The BRIT Awards 2023 with Mastercard, Harry won all four awards he was nominated for, taking home the awards for Pop/R&B Act, Artist of the Year, Song of The Year ('As It Was'), and Album of the Year (Harry's House).
He said in one of his acceptance speeches: "Thank you again, I'm going to start by thanking my family for being the most supportive, understanding, patient, loving family I could have ever asked for. I want to thank my mum for signing me up for X Factor without telling me, so I literally wouldn't be here without you.
"I want to thank Niall, Louis, Liam and Zayn, thank you so much. I'm really really grateful and I'm very aware of my privilege up here tonight, so this award is for Rina, Charlie, Florence, Mabel and Becky. Thank you so much."
2024: Liam releases new single 'Teardrops'
Liam delighted fans in February 2024 by releasing a new single called 'Teardrops'. This came after Liam previously teased new music on his Instagram page.
Shortly after its release, Liam also shared an acoustic version on his Insta page.
February 2024: Niall takes 'The Show' live on tour
Niall began a massive world tour entitled 'The Show Live On Tour', which included several UK dates. Due to popular demand, extra dates were added.
June 2024: Louis Tomlinson's live streams final stadium show of back-to-back world tours
Louis Tomlinson became the first male solo artist to headline the home of the Mexican F1 Grand Prix, Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.
For one night only, Louis took to the stage in Mexico, performing his last stadium show of his 'Faith In The Future World Tour', ending his two back-to-back world tours.
October 2024: Tributes pour in for the late Liam Payne
There was heartbreaking news on Wednesday 16th October, announcing that Liam Payne had sadly died at the age of 31. It was reported that the singer died after falling from a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Our thoughts are with all those affected by the saddening news.
Following the tragic news breaking, tributes began to pour in for the late singer, including messages from Dermot O'Leary, Olly Murs, and Rylan Clark. From fellow celebs who worked with Liam, including the likes of Zedd, Charlie Puth and Cher Lloyd, who was on the same series of The X Factor as Liam.