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Zayn Malik reveals why he left One Direction

He revealed that he had “seen it (coming)”.

Zayn Malik reveals why he left One Direction

One Direction alum Zayn Malik has revealed the real reason for leaving the popular boy band. For those not in the know, the singer – who formed the group with bandmates Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Niall Horan, and Louis Tomlinson in 2010 - decided to go solo and quit the band in 2015.

“There was a lot of—look I don't want to go into too much detail, but there was a lot of politics going on,” he said during the July 12 episode of the Call Her Daddy podcast.


The 30-year-old added, “Certain people were doing certain things, certain people didn't want to sign contracts, so I knew something was happening, so I just got ahead of the curve. I was like, ‘I'm just going to get out of here. I think this is done.’”

The singer further said that he wanted to quickly exit and be the first one to bring out a solo record.

“I completely selfishly wanted to be the first person to go and make my own record, if I'm being completely honest with you. I was like, 'I'm going to jump the gun here for the first time,’” he said. “I'm serious about it and I'm competitive, so I wanted to be the first to go and do my own thing. That was the reason—and then there were obviously underlying issues, like within our friendships too.”

Malik further revealed that he had “seen it (coming)”. “If I'm being completely honest with you, I was like, 'I'm going to jump the gun here'. I'm a passive dude, but when it comes to my music and my business, I'm serious about it and I'm competitive, so I wanted to be the first to go and do my own thing. That was the reason,” he stated.

Stay tuned to this space for more updates and reveals.

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Bush Theatre’s 'Sweetmeats' highlights diabetes risks in south Asian community through elder love story

Bush Theatre’s 'Sweetmeats' spotlights south Asian elders at high risk of diabetes in intimate new play

Highlights:

  • Sweetmeats previews at Bush Theatre from 7 February 2026, running until 21 March.
  • The play follows two south Asian elders navigating type-2 diabetes.
  • Shobu Kapoor and Rehan Sheikh star in the lead roles.
  • Co-produced by Bush Theatre and Tara Theatre, written by Karim Khan.
  • Tickets from £15, with concessions and accessible performances available.

Sweetmeats, a new play examining diabetes in south Asian communities, will have its world premiere at London’s Bush Theatre from 7 February 2026. Written by Karim Khan and directed by Tara Theatre’s Natasha Kathi-Chandra, the production follows Hema and Liaquat, two elders brought together on a diabetes support course. The play highlights both the health risks faced by south Asians and the rarely told stories of older characters on the British stage.

Sweetmeats Bush Theatre’s 'Sweetmeats' highlights diabetes risks in south Asian community through elder love story Bush Theatre’s 'Sweetmeats' highlights diabetes risks in south Asian community through elder love story

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