One Direction: Dare to Dream: Life as One Direction (16 page)

When I went into the show I had just finished my first year of sixth form, and my college told me that there was always a place for me if I wanted to go back. But as soon as I started on the show I knew that was what I wanted to do.
The X Factor
changed me so much as a person. I used to be very reserved and I found it hard to talk to people I didn’t know. Even when my mom used to ask me to make a doctor’s appointment for myself I hated the idea of having to speak to a stranger on the phone. Now I see fans and I’ll chat away happily for ages. The show gave me a lot more confidence and taught me how to speak to people, and I’m really grateful for that.

As a band we’re really close, but in some ways we’re still getting to know each other a bit better every day. The first time we all properly bonded following the show was when we went to Harry’s stepdad’s house. But looking back, we didn’t even know each other that well then. We’d been given this amazing opportunity to become a group, but the first thing that went through my mind after the excitement wore off was “how the hell are we going to organize this when we’re all from different places?” Luckily Louis and Harry are a bit more organized than I am, so they came up with the plan of meeting and staying in Cheshire because it was quite easy for everyone to get to.

All the guys turned up to meet each other, and I didn’t arrive until three days later because I had some family things going on at home. As soon as I got there it became evident that when you don’t know people, spending three days together as they already had makes a
big
difference, so I did feel quite out of the loop and it was a bit weird at first.

Luckily a lot of the guys are really outgoing and fun, so I soon felt like a part of the group. We’d sit around a campfire singing and watch TV and eat. We were kind of getting to know each other without even realizing that we were getting to know each other.

I bonded with Louis really quickly because he’s like me in a lot of ways, but I also had the most arguments with him for the same reason. Harry is a cheeky chappie, so I got along well with him, but Liam was probably the person I got on best with because he’s quite serious and focused. I soon realized that Niall was a bit crazy. He’s so much fun and he never stops. It must be exhausting being him.

We were supposed to be rehearsing as a band during that break, but we didn’t have a clue what we were doing. Most of us had been singing solo before, so this was totally different. Our idea of a harmony was five boys singing together at the same time. We were also singing things we thought were cool like Jason Derulo and Jay Sean, but they were completely wrong for us.

To be fair, we were just trying things out back then. It wasn’t like we were thinking, “We’re going to go and be a famous boy band”—we just wanted to try and get through Judges’ Houses. We did talk a bit about staying together afterwards even if it didn’t work out, but I didn’t try and think too far ahead because I wanted to do everything one stage at a time. Every time we got a bit further it was another massive achievement and brought us closer together.

Judges’ Houses in Marbella was probably the time when we actually felt like a group. It was the first time we auditioned as a band and sang in front of Simon, so we really pulled together.

That trip to Spain was the first time I’d been abroad, and we were in one of the nicest places ever, so I’ll never forget being there. I didn’t own a passport before the show. In fact, I’d never even been to London before my audition. The farthest from home I’d been was Birmingham, to go shopping, so I experienced a lot of new things very quickly.

I found Judges’ Houses pretty full-on, as we did loads of filming and rehearsing, so even though we weren’t supposed to go out Louis and I were a bit mischievous
and snuck out a few times just to get away from things. We went to this restaurant and got some amazing pizza and sat on the beach and ate it and chatted. You could see the beach from our hotel room and it was the most incredible thing to me—I’d never seen anything like it. I just remember laughing my way through our time in Spain. It was amazing.

Getting through Judges’ Houses and knowing I would be moving out of home into the contestants’ house was so weird. I’d never stayed away from home for longer than a few days before. I think it was hardest on my mom because I was her only boy and she didn’t want me to leave. She still cries every time I go home and then leave again. I have to say to her, “Mom, I’m not going to war, I’m just going to work.”

It was hard saying goodbye to everyone and moving into this brand new house. I’d never shared a room before and all of a sudden I’m with four other guys in a tiny room with bunk beds. It soon became pretty horrible. It smelled like five teenage boys and it was so messy. I’m quite organized and I like to know where things are—that must be the womanly influence—but most of the other boys just didn’t care and they’d throw things everywhere. There would be socks all over the floor, underwear hanging from light bulbs and dirty plates. It wasn’t nice.

I had four bags with me and I kept them organized at all times. I had washing bags and bags for clean clothes, and they’d be at the bottom of the bed along with my shoes in a row. Louis was the worst for messiness. He’d take his clothes off to go to bed at night and just drop them on the floor. Then in the morning he’d get up, stand all over them, get new clothes out of the wardrobe and leave the other ones for days. Imagine eight weeks of that. Liam and I would clean the room sometimes, but a few days later it would be in exactly the same state again, so it was pretty pointless.

Having said that, a lot of the best memories I have from
The X Factor
were of inside the house. We used to have such a laugh playing games and eating
together. Also, being on a red carpet for the first time was pretty cool. I wouldn’t say it was one of the best memories, but it was definitely one of the weirdest. I’d never seen famous people and all the hype that goes with it. If I’d seen a famous person in the past I would never have asked for an autograph or anything, so it was strange seeing how much fuss there was around people. I guess that’s why I find it so odd when people want my autograph, because I’m just me.

I’m handling being in the spotlight alright, though. I love the fans and the support we get from people, it’s just strange for people to know who I am without me having to go up and introduce myself. People think they know you already because they’ve seen you on TV growing through the
X Factor
experience. It’s a bit like being on
The Truman Show
sometimes. People think they’re your friend before they know you, but people are always really nice so I’m always happy to talk.

Meeting Robbie Williams on the show was amazing. I have to admit I wasn’t a massive fan before, because I wasn’t into that kind of music, but I was totally converted as soon as I met him. He’s got an aura about him and it’s very evident when he walks into a room. He was so cool and down to earth, and while everyone else had Rihanna, Christina Aguilera and Will.i.am singing with them, Robbie stayed with us all day and got to know us. That’s why you could feel the chemistry on stage.

You know when you watch a performance and you get goose pimples? Singing with Robbie was like that but magnified ten times over. I had a smile from ear to ear, and when I’m a granddad I can show my grandchildren the video and feel so proud.

One of the saddest times of the competition for me was when my granddad passed away. He was your typical happy chappie and he was constantly joking around and smiling. I have such good memories of him from when I was growing up, and I always will have.

He had been ill for a while and he’d had a few strokes, so in a way I knew it was coming. He was in a lot of pain and he was suffering, so it was probably for the best in some ways, if you can say that.

It was horrible not being at home around the time it all happened, but I was so glad that he got to see us sing “You Are So Beautiful” on the show—it was his favorite song. He said that he wanted that version played at his funeral, and it was, which was very emotional but really lovely. All of the boys came down to the funeral to support me, and it was so nice to be with them at that time. It really helped having them there.

CHRISTMAS CHEER

After the show ended, it was back to normality because we all headed home for Christmas. No one in my family treated me differently, and they’re still the same even now.

It was strange for me, though, because
The X Factor
was always a Christmas thing for us. We’d watch it all the way through as a family and talk about it. I remember watching it with my mom the year Alexandra and JLS went head to head and then seeing Joe McElderry win. Now I’d actually been on it.

Thankfully nothing else had changed about Christmas. I still got up, got my presents, had dinner…just the usual. I got an iPad, which I was so chuffed with, and also shower gel and aftershave and all the usual things that teenage boys get. I was able to treat my family too because I had a bit of money. I got my sisters nice presents and I got my mom some jewelry. It was really nice to be able to do that.