Simon Cowell: ‘I’m Not In Touch With Zayn Malik - One Direction Are My Responsibility’ - EXCLUSIVE

We were all left stunned back in March when Zayn Malik sensationally decided to quit One Direction, aka the biggest boyband on the planet, in order to be a “normal 22 year old” before deciding that he really wanted to be a solo artist.

In fact, even talking about that difficult time is enough to make us get a little bit teary-eyed.

Anyways, ever since he ditched the band, the public have watched with widening eyes as Zayn went on to cause a little bit of trouble everywhere he went; picking Twitter fights with his former bandmate, Louis Tomlinson, former bezzie, Naughty Boy, and dumping his fiancee, Perrie Edwards of Little Mix before slagging off Calvin Harris and Taylor Swift.

Phew, it really has been an exhausting few months.

Now signed to a totally different record label to One Direction, but still under the Sony umbrella, we caught up with his former boss, Simon Cowell, to find out what he made of the Bradford boy’s antics and, well, as it happens… He’s not too focused on Zayn right now.

Speaking at the launch of the glitzy new series of The X Factor, the music mogul told us: “I’m not in touch with Zayn.

“Once we’d made the decision that he was going to be on a different part of Sony, which is good for him, my responsibility was obviously the guys and their next record.

“But Zayn is going to be fine.”

And although he was coy to admit any actual details about the much-anticipated fifth One Direction album, Si was kind enough to dish: “The record they’ve delivered to us is honestly the best album they’ve ever made.”

Ahhhhh, we literally can’t wait to hear it - and if Drag Me Down is anything to go by, Simon really isn’t kidding.

The X Factor returns to ITV this Saturday at 8pm - and we can’t bloomin’ wait.

[ Simon Cowell: “One Direction Were 100% Overworked” - EXCLUSIVE ]