Oritse Williams: Zayn Malik planned One Direction exit for a year

 
Advice: Oritse Williams spoke to Zayn Malik a year ago about leaving One Direction. (Picture: PA)
PA
Jennifer Ruby23 April 2015
The Weekender

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Former JLS star Oritse Williams has revealed that Zayn Malik spoke to him about leaving One Direction a year ago.

The pop star, who is close friends with the boy band, had a conversation with the 22-year-old while they were in Las Vegas last year, urging him to ‘be himself’.

Quit: Zayn Malik spoke about leaving the band last year. (Picture: Ian Gavan/Getty Images)
Getty Images

He told The Mirror: “Zayn spoke to me when we were together in Vegas last year.

“Niall did too. Zayn was talking to me in confidence. I told him he had a great run and to enjoy it. They are very, very blessed guys.”

Williams, who also found fame on X Factor as part of a band, admitted that he gave the youngster advice, telling him to stick at it.

He said: “It’s a very special thing and not a lot of artists show gratitude for that. But I told him to be himself and to keep going.”

One Direction's Zayn Malik - In pictures

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Malik is currently working on his solo material after announcing his departure from the band last month.

He’s also rumoured to be in the process of pursuing a film career, after Bend It Like Beckham director Gurinder Chadha revealed that she’d met with the pop star.

She said: “We’ve met and spoken. He trained as an actor first then became part of the band.

“So I think what he’ll be doing is staying true to his heart - and that’s all you can ever do.”

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