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’.
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
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.”
