Former One Direction star regrets hiding in hotel rooms during the height of One Direction mania, and says if he could go back he would make the most of their international fame
15:58, 05 Nov 2025
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Niall Horan opened up about the stresses of 1D fame(Image: WireImage)
Niall Horan is relieved One Direction are over as he spent five years stuck in hotel rooms.
In a desperate attempt to escape 1D mania, the boys were locked away and the Irish star struggled to deal with it.
Niall opened up: “I tried my best to keep things private outside of work. My whole life was very private.
"There were periods when for five years, we didn’t leave the hotel once.
“It was tough. We spent a lot of time on tour. You’re in every city in the world and see none of it.”
If the singer could do it all over again Niall “would’ve gone out a bit more”.
Niall Horan regrets not making the most of his stardom
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Niall Horan regrets not making the most of his stardom(Image: Casey Durkin/NBC via Getty Images)
One Direction became the biggest band on the planet but Niall believes their egos never got out of line: “I always thought the Irish thing had something to play in terms of the way I was brought up and I was never gonna get too big for my boots anyway.
“None of us were maniacs. We definitely looked out for each other, some more than others but that's just how it is.”
In fact the lads were oblivious to their level of fame: “We had a good crew around us. Until we left the band we never knew how big it was. We were in this little bubble – it’s only afterwards, looking back in...”
Niall insists no-one in the band had inflated egos
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Niall insists no-one in the band had inflated egos(Image: FilmMagic)
It could have been very different for Niall had his childhood dream come true: “I watch more football than I listen to music. I always wanted to be a footballer when I was a kid.”
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The closest he came was when he “joined” Chelsea FC after then manager José Mourinho arranged for him to have physio for his dodgy knee at the club.
Niall revealed: “I ended up spending the next five months at Chelsea, I have my own locker, my own training kit.
“He walked into the room with the doctors, they’re all stood around me with all the physios and he said, ‘Treat him like I need him back for the summer in five months.’”