Niall Horan joins Trainspotting with Francis Bourgeois 🚂
He has an unusual connection to trains!
Last updated 14th Jun 2023
Many people wouldn't associate Niall Horan with trains... However, the former One Direction singer, who has just released his third solo album 'The Show', is the latest guest on the hit digital series Trainspotting with Francis Bourgeois.
In each episode, host Francis Bourgeois is joined by celebrities and other artists such as Sam Ryder, AJ Tracey, Aisling Bea, Tom Daley, Jesse Lingard, and Chloe Burrows. This time, it's the turn of 'Meltdown' singer Niall Horan, who has a surprising connection to trains.
Opening up to Francis, Niall revealed: "My grandad was actually a train driver... he did Dublin to Sligo, which was his thing.
"My dad tells me that he drove the train in the old movie The Great Train Robbery."
In the show, host Francis shares his passion for trains with celebrities, however, in the episode with Niall, things didn't go quite to plan. Meeting at London's Liverpool Street Station, the pair were intending to travel to Harlow Town, but multiple train cancellations meant that Francis had to find something else to make the most of their time.
So, while on board a vintage Class 117, Niall was asked to perform his comeback single 'Heaven', which he released in February. 'Heaven' was written by Niall while he was at a writing camp at Joshua Tree National Park in America, and he recently told fans that when he wrote it, he knew it was going to be the first song from his album.
He also said, that he: "Knew we were very close if not, nearly done (with the album)," after 'Heaven' and 'Meltdown' were written at that camp.
How to watch Trainspotting with Francis Bourgeois
You can watch Trainspotting with Francis Bourgeois on Channel 4's Entertainment channel on YouTube.
You can hear songs by Niall Horan on heat radio.
Take a look through Niall's fantastic career:
Early life
Niall James Horan was born in Mullingar, Ireland on 13 September 1993. His parents, Bobby Horan and Maura Gallagher, divorced when he was five. He also has a brother Greg.
2010: X Factor audition
In 2010, Niall, who was 16 at the time, auditioned for The X Factor where he sang Neyo's 'So Sick' for the judges. He was then put through to bootcamp but failed to get through - well, until Simon Cowell decided Niall and four other boys (Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and the late Liam Payne) were too good to let go. One Direction was officially born.
2010-2015: One Direction global stardom
Following their birth on The X Factor, One Direction went on to become the biggest boyband on the planet, releasing five studio albums and winning over 200 awards worldwide.
The group also achieved 4 UK Number 1 songs, including tracks 'What Makes You Beautiful', 'Little Things', 'One Way Or Another' and 'Drag Me Down'.
2013: Relationship with Ellie Goulding
During his time in One Direction, Niall was rumoured to have been romantically involved with Ellie Goulding - who he is now 'best mates' with. They reportedly 'briefly dated' in 2013. In a interview with Seventeen, Ellie gushed: "We went on a few dates, and it was really fun. He's a really, really lovely guy. He's got the biggest sense of humour, he's very caring, and I see him as a genuine friend in the industry."
In 2014, Niall was also rumoured to have dated Victoria Secret model Barbara Palvin.
2015-2016: One Direction hiatus
In 2015, Zayn Malik shocked the world when he decided to leave the group. However, the four boys continued without him until 2015, when they released their last album, 'Made In The AM', before deciding to go on an 'indefinite hiatus'.
2016: Niall goes travelling
Being in one of the biggest boybands in the world from a young age means you miss out on some of the 'normal' parts of growing up - like going travelling. In 2016, just after One Direction announced their hiatus, Niall decided to go backpacking around the world with his two cousins.
He told Graham Norton: "I wanted to do it properly so we did it on a budget. All of my friends got to do it when I was traveling the world in a different way, so I thought it's only fair that I get to do it, too."
2016: Soccer Aid with Louis
In 2016, Niall returned to the spotlight and played in Soccer Aid where he was reunited with bandmate Louis Tomlinson (although in different teams).
Inspired by his love of golf, Niall also founded Modest! Golf, a golf management company that also puts on a yearly tournament and is often seen at golf events around the world.
2017: Niall goes solo
After One Direction, Niall signed a record deal with Capitol Records and in 2017 released his first solo single 'This Town' — which has since been certified 2x Platinum. He later released his first album, Flicker, which debuted at number one in Ireland and the US.
His new sound was inspired by The Eagles and Fleetwood Mac, with Niall saying: "Whenever I would pick up a guitar, I would always naturally play chords like that, and finger pick a lot and play that folky kind of style."
2017: Niall and Hailee Steinfield start dating
In 2017, Niall and singer Hailee Steinfield start dating and were together for a year and a half before splitting in 2018.
In 2020, Hailee released a song called 'Wrong Direction' which led to speculation that Niall may have cheated.
The lyrics read: 'Lookin' back, I probably should have known/ But I just wanted to believe that you were out sleepin' alone.'
2018: Niall opens up about his mental health struggles
In 2018, Niall revealed that he has 'mild obsessive compulsive disorder' and suffers from anxiety.
He opened up in an interview with German magazine ZEIT LEO: "I feel like I have to do things in a certain way.
"For example, if I have a burger with chips on my plate, I always have to eat the chips first and only pick up the burger at the very end."
Niall went on to share how OCD has impacted his performance: "Even when I go on stage, I only have one fixed sequence. I always have to sing in the same order, move and so on."
He explained that he practises a breathing technique before he goes on stage to cope with anxiety called 'box breathing'.
2018: Niall performs with Taylor Swift at Wembley
Niall has made A LOT of celebrity friends over the years, including the one and only Taylor Swift - who invited him on stage to sing with her in 2018 during her Reputation stadium tour.
He has even called her 'just one of the greatest songwriters of her generation.'
So cute.
2019 - 2020: Niall releases his second album Heartbreak Weather
After a year out, Niall released lead singles 'Nice To Meet Ya', 'Put A Little Love On Me' and 'No Judgement', to his second album 'Heartbreak Weather' - released in March 2020.
However, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, Niall had to postpone his Nice To Meet Ya tour.
2019: Niall performs with his pal Lewis Capaldi
Niall and Lewis' friendship is everything we need and more. Ever since Lewis burst onto the music scene in 2019, Niall has been full of support for the Scottish singer. In March 2018, the Niall singer slid into Lewis' DMs after hearing some of his music and a beautiful friendship was born - they've even performed together on a few occasions.
2021: Niall and Anne-marie release Our Song
What a dream team! In May 2021, Niall and singer Anne-Marie teamed up on anthem 'Our Song'. The track has since been certified Platinum.
2021: Niall confirms relationship with girlfriend Amelia Wooley
During lockdown, Niall started dating fashion buyer Amelia Wooley and the two made their first public appearance together at the Horan & Rose gala in September 2021. Niall is notoriously private when it comes to his love life, but Amelia has shared a few photos of them together on her Instagram.
2021: Niall presents Jimmy Kimmel:Live
In August 2021, Niall was a guest host on US chat show Jimmy Kimmel: Live where he performed a hilarious monologue and chatted to guest Lizzo and Jonas Brothers.
2022: Niall releases Homecoming: The Road To Mullingar with Lewis Capaldi
In October 2022, Niall and BFF Lewis Capaldi provided us with the ultimate collab - no, not music, but in fact a documentary, following the pair as they head on a road trip together, starting out at Belfast City Airport before they engulf themselves in the landscape of Ireland.
The series is available to watch on Amazon Prime, and it's fair to say it's full of laughs.
2022: Niall announces new music and shows for 2023
The news we had all been waiting for! On 27th October 2022, Niall made a pretty huge announcement, revealing that he has new music, new shows and a brand new album on the way. Sharing a video of himself announcing the news, he said: "I'm back! I've got new music coming in the new year, that I'm really, really proud of. I appreciate you being so patient with me, while I've done it". He also added: "I have a whole new album too, and something that I've wanted to do forever is festivals... and I've never really had the opportunity to do it, so I think we will be announcing some festivals in the next couple of days and weeks and months, for next year, which I'm really excited about".
2023: Niall Horan releases 'Heaven'
Niall Horan released his comeback song 'Heaven' on 17th February. He told us: "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?"
2023: Niall announced the name of his album
Niall Horan revealed the name of his third solo album would be 'The Show'. The album was released on 9th June 2023.
2023: Niall's website includes details of a forthcoming tour
A forthcoming tour is mentioned on Niall's website. Fans who pre-ordered his album 'The Show', before the end of March, received a pre-sale code to buy tickets for his UK and Ireland tour.
2023: Niall released 'Meltdown'
Niall released the second single 'Meltdown' from his upcoming album, on 28th April. The singer told his fans the song was about: "That panicky moment of feeling a little bit anxious and not sure if you're going to get out of it."
2023: Niall announces 'The Show Live On Tour'
Niall announces 'The Show Live On Tour' dates for 2024. The singer embarked on a massive world tour, which included several UK dates. He started in Belfast on Wednesday 21st February 2024. Due to popular demand, extra dates were added to Niall's tour.
2023: Niall releases his third album 'The Show'
On 9th June, Niall released his third studio album 'The Show.' The album consists of 10 tracks, including singles 'Heaven' and 'Meltdown'. The album was certified Platinum by the BPI in May 2024, translating to over 60,000 albums sales in the UK alone - phwoar!
2023: Niall appears on Trainspotting with Francis Bourgeois
Niall appears on Trainspotting with Francis Bourgeois in June 2023. The pair met at Liverpool Street Station, but the train trip they had planned didn't to plan. In the end, Niall ended up performing 'Heaven' on a Class 117 train.
Now read:
Tickets are now ON SALE for Niall Horan's 'The Show Live On Tour'
Niall Horan releases catchy song 'Meltdown' with the lyric video
Everything you need to know about Niall Horan's third solo album 'The Show'