Little Mix Vs One Direction in numbers
They both started life on The X Factor!
Last updated 9th Oct 2020
They are two of the biggest pop groups ever to grace the planet, and since Little Mix, made up of Perrie Edwards, Jesy Nelson, Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Jade Thirlwall, and One Direction, made up of the late Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson, both started life on The X Factor, we thought we would compare the bands by looking at the all-important numbers.
Although One Direction announced their hiatus in 2016, after former member Zayn Malik left in 2015, fans were calling out for a One Direction reunion, especially following their 10th anniversary in 2020. Sadly, however, the tragic news was announced in October 2024 that Liam Payne had sadly died.
Since Little Mix became the first ever group to win The X Factor back in 2011, the band stayed together for 10 years, before beginning their hiatus in 2021.
Whether you are a Mixer or a Directioner, check out their numbers below and see just how much both bands have achieved over the last decade.
What year did One Direction form?
One Direction were formed on The X Factor in 2010, with Harry, Liam, Louis, Niall and Zayn all auditioning as solo artists. Simon Cowell and guest judge Nicole Scherzinger put the boys together in a group, creating One Direction in the process.
What year did Little Mix form?
Little Mix were formed on The X Factor one year later in 2011, with Jade, Perrie, Jesy and Leigh-Anne all auditioning as solo artists just like the 1D boys. The four girls were put into a group by Simon Cowell, and the rest is history!
How many UK Number 1 singles do One Direction have?
To date, One Direction have scored four Number 1 singles in the UK Charts. Their debut single 'What Makes You Beautiful' hit the top spot, as well as 'Little Things', 'Drag Me Down' and their charity single 'One Way Or Another (Teenage Kicks)'.
How many UK Number 1 singles do Little Mix have?
The Little Mix girls also have four UK Number 1 songs to date! As well as their X Factor winner's single 'Cannonball', Little Mix songs 'Wings', 'Black Magic', and 'Shout Out To My Ex' all hit the top spot.
What is the combined age of One Direction?
Not including former member Zayn, One Direction's combined age is 106.
Harry Styles is 26
Liam Payne is 26
Niall Horan is 26
Louis Tomlinson is 28
What is the combined age of Little Mix?
Little Mix's combined age is 109.
Perrie Edwards is 26
Leigh-Anne Pinnock is 28
Jade Thirlwall is 27
Jesy Nelson is 28
What position did One Direction finish on The X Factor?
Unbelievably, One Direction actually finished in third place on The X Factor back in 2010. Mentored by Simon Cowell, the band were pipped by both Rebecca Ferguson Matt Cardle.
What position did Little Mix finish on The X Factor?
Little Mix made history in 2011 when they become the first ever band to win The X Factor! The girls, who were mentored by Tulisa, were crowned the winners ahead of Marcus Collins and Amelia Lily.
How many social media followers do One Direction have?
Twitter: 30.4 million
Instagram: 17.5 million
How many social media followers do Little Mix have?
Twitter: 11.7 million
Instagram: 12.8 million
How many studio albums have One Direction released?
To date, One Direction have released five studio albums, with their final release 'Made in the A.M.' landing in November 2015.
2011: 'Up All Night'
2012: 'Take Me Home'
2013: 'Midnight Memories'
2014: 'Four'
2015: 'Made in the A.M.'
How many studio albums have Little Mix released?
To date, Little Mix have also released five studio albums, with their fifth release 'LM5' dropping in November 2018.
2012: 'DNA'
2013: 'Salute'
2015: 'Get Weird'
2017: 'Glory Days'
2018: 'LM5'
Who have One Direction collaborated with?
Believe it or not, as a band One Direction didn't ever collaborate with any other artists to release a song. It wasn't until the lads went solo and started to experiment with other artists, including the likes of Rita Ora, Steve Aoki and Alesso.
Who have Little Mix collaborated with?
On the other hand, the Little Mix girls love a collaboration! Since finding fame in 2011, the girls have teamed up with some major artists including Nicki Minaj, Jason Derulo, Charlie Puth, Missy Elliot, Stormzy, Sean Paul, Ty Dolla $ign and Machine Gun Kelly.
What is One Direction's most viewed music video on YouTube?
One Direction's debut single 'What Makes You Beautiful' remains the band's most viewed music video on YouTube. At the time of publication, the video has 1,149,031,552 views.
What is Little Mix's most viewed music video on YouTube?
Little Mix's 2015 single 'Black Magic' is their most viewed music video on YouTube. At the time of publication, the video has 683,472,752 views.
How many UK tours have One Direction done?
Before the band started their hiatus in 2016, One Direction had four headline tours, with many selling out in the UK and across the world.
2011-12: 'Up All Night Tour'
2013: 'Take Me Home Tour'
2014: 'Where We Are Tour'
2015: 'On The Road Again Tour'
How many UK tours have Little Mix done?
To date, Little Mix have completed six headline tours in the UK, selling out thousands of dates.
2013: 'The DNA Tour'
2014: 'The Salute Tour'
2016: 'The Get Weird Tour'
2017: 'The Glory Days Tour'
2018: 'Summer Hits Tour 2018'
2019: 'LM5 - The Tour'
In 2020, Little Mix were due to go on their 'Summer 2020 Tour', however the band announced the sad news that they'd been forced to cancel the tour due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
How many BRIT Awards have One Direction won?
Since they appeared on The X Factor in 2010, One Direction have been nominated for 12 BRIT Awards, winning seven in the process.
How many BRIT Awards have Little Mix won?
Little Mix have been nominated for nine BRIT Awards in total, with the band winning two of them over the years!
What TV shows and films have One Direction been on?
As well as Louis Tomlinson being a judge on The X Factor and Harry Styles starring in Christopher Nolan's movie Dunkirk, there's been a lot of unofficial TV shows and movies made about 1D.
However, whilst touring the world with their 'Take Me Home Tour' in 2013, One Direction released a 3D-documentary film about the time on their road, titled One Direction: This Is Us.
What TV shows and films have Little Mix been on?
As well as Jade appearing as a guest judge on Ru Paul's Drag Race UK, and Jesy having her own anti-bullying documentary called Odd One Out, in 2020 Little Mix announced their very own TV show!
Little Mix: The Search, hosted by comedian Chris Ramsey, will see the girls looking for the next big band. Although the show was due to air in Spring 2020, production was suspended due to the Coronavirus.
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