MOL
London
It’s been a rocky six months for the world’s biggest boy band, but despite their differences, bandmates old and new came together to mark One Direction’s fifth anniversary on July 23rd. Liam Payne was first to take to Twitter to pay tribute to the group five years after they were put together on The X Factor. He wrote: ‘Wowwwww 5 years 5 boys what an amazing journey I couldn’t thank you all ever enough and thank you Louis Niall Harry and zayn for everything. ‘Thanks for all the memories boys I love you all.’ While Niall and Harry were also quick to celebrate the milestone on social media, it was only Liam who got a response from a blast from the past - Zayn Malik. The Bradford-born singer, who quit the group in March, replied: ‘Thanks bro,’ followed by a smiley face and a kiss. Zayn walked away from the band after insisting he wanted to be a ‘normal 22-year-old’, only to baffle fans by starting work on solo material. He said at the time: ‘My life with One Direction has been more than I could ever have imagined. But, after five years, I feel like it is now the right time for me to leave the band. I’d like to apologise to the fans if I’ve let anyone down, but I have to do what feels right in my heart.
‘I am leaving because I want to be a normal 22-year-old who is able to relax and have some private time out of the spotlight. I know I have four friends for life in Louis, Liam, Harry and Niall. I know they will continue to be the best band in the world.’
While Louis continued his Twitter sabbatical since the news broke, Harry and Niall reached out to their fans to thank them for their support. Harry wrote: ‘We have been a band for five years. And it is impossible to thank anyone enough for all the support they have given us over this time.
‘All the crew that we have been so lucky to work with, and everyone who is behind the scenes. We thank you for everything that you do. To you who support us, in any way, thank you. We wouldn’t be here without you. You did this and we thank you for having us. All the love.’
Niall added: ‘5 years, literally sittin [sic] down talking about last night. Insane! I remember the day we were out together like it was yesterday! ‘Thank you so much for what you’ve done for us so far, what an incredible journey it’s been, wish we could thank you all. Thanks to the boys too, we’ve seen and done some incredible things together, love you all!’