Niall Horan And Harry Styles Considered Leaving One Direction Before Zayn Split, According To Other Musicians

Niall Horan and Harry Styles were probably relieved after Zayn Malik decided to split from One Direction.

When the remaining four members of the group decide to go their separate ways, Zayn’s One Direction defection will likely be looked at as the catalyst for the boy band’s demise. However, recent reports suggest that Niall Horan and Harry Styles were thinking about quitting 1D long before Zayn abandoned the band.

During an interview with the Mirror, former JLS member Oritse Williams revealed that Niall and Zayn both sought his advice about leaving One Direction.

“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.”

Judging from the way Oritse talked about his 1D counseling sessions, Zayn Malik was more serious about splitting from the group than Niall Horan was. He revealed that he told Zayn to do what he felt was best for him, but it sounds like Oritse thought that Zayn was being just a tad ungrateful for his mega success by plotting to abandon his bandmates so soon.

“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.”

Oritse Williams didn’t divulge any further details about his talks with Niall Horan. Perhaps he decided that doing so would make life more difficult for the Irish singer — the remaining members of 1D probably wouldn’t act too friendly towards Niall if they found out that he was also secretly planning on abandoning them.

However, it sounds like Harry Styles is the most likely candidate for the next One Direction defection. According to Billboard, former *NSYNC singer Lance Bass recently told talk show host Meredith Viera that Harry “has been ready to go solo for many months” and that he’s going to leave the group next. Lance also shared his belief that Zayn Malik will benefit from jumping ship first “because now he’s a household name.”

Morgan Spurlock, the director of the One Direction documentary This Is Us, agrees with Lance Bass that Harry Styles will be the next member of the group to go solo. During an interview with TMZ, he predicted the boy band’s future.

“I think they’ll stay together for a little bit longer,” Spurlock said. “And I think, at some point, Harry will probably leave. He’ll probably be next.”

However, Spurlock doesn’t see Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, and Liam Payne following in Harry and Zayn’s footsteps by pursuing solo careers — he thinks they’ll become the next Bell Biv DeVoe.

Bell Biv DeVoe was a singing group composed of three members of New Edition, a boy band that was popular during the ’80s. Bobby Brown was the first New Edition member to leave the group, and he went on to find solo success. However, as New York Magazine points out, Bobby Brown didn’t leave voluntarily — his bad behavior got him booted from the group.

One Direction fans should find comfort in Morgan Spurlock’s words — Bell Biv DeVoe went on to record a successful album, and the group still performs together. However, the remaining members of 1D may have other future plans already. Niall Horan must be somewhat interested in going solo if he was talking to Oritse Williams about leaving the group and, as the Inquisitr previously reported, Louis Tomlinson is starting his own record label.

Do you think Harry Styles will leave the group next? If he does, would you like Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, and Liam Payne to continue on as a trio with a new name?

[Image credit: Jamie McCarthy/Getty]