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Liam Payne says being in One Direction 'got a little bit toxic'

'I was pissed quite a lot of the time because there was no other way to get your head around what was going on,' says Payne

Clémence Michallon
Wednesday 05 June 2019 11:35 EDT
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Liam Payne clears up rumours about a One Direction reunion

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Liam Payne has revealed his One Direction days sometimes got “a little bit toxic”, adding he was “pissed quite a lot of the time” at the height of his boy band fame.

The singer reminisced about his rise to stardom in an interview with Men’s Health Australian edition.

“When you’re doing hundreds and hundreds of [concerts] and it’s the same 22 songs at the same time every single day, even if you’re not happy, you’ve got to go out there,” he told the magazine.

“It’s almost like putting the Disney costume on before you step up on stage and underneath the Disney costume I was pissed quite a lot of the time because there was no other way to get your head around what was going on.”

Payne, who was 14 when he first auditioned for X Factor – the show that ultimately put him on the map – added: “I mean it was fun.

“We had an absolute blast but there were certain parts of it where it just got a little bit toxic.”

One Direction has been on hiatus since 2016 to allow its members (Payne, Niall Horan, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson) to pursue different projects.

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Payne, who is now 25 years old, released his first solo EP, titled First Time, in August 2018.

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