When Zayn Malik left One Direction fans were quick to assume it was so he could spend more time with his Little Mix fiancée, and now Liam Payne has confirmed that it was one of the reasons why he departed the group.
In an interview on Capital radio with hosts Dave Berry and Lisa Snowdon, 21-year-old Payne admitted that Perrie Edwards, who angry fans branded the Yoko Ono of One Direction, was one of the main reasons Zayn left the band's tour.
He said: "Sometimes you have to move on because you're not enjoying what you're doing as much as you used to.
"He wanted to spend time with his family and his missus. That's cool with us."
He continued: "Yeah, of course he had to do what he had to do. We are still great mates. I know it's difficult for people to see.
"It's like any other job sometimes - you just have to move on. We are going to just keep going, keep flying the flag."
