In a nostalgic turn of events, Harry Styles recently picked up the phone to reconnect with Simon Cowell, shedding light on the intricate dynamics and past memories of their One Direction days.
- Jul 2, 2024
AceShowbiz - Simon Cowell has revealed that Harry Styles called him recently to reminisce about the "great time" they together had during the One Direction days. The talent scout, 64, created the boy-band - made up of Harry, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, Liam Payne, and Louis Tomlinson - in 2010 on ITV's "The X Factor".
Simon spoke about his time managing the band and hailed its huge success when he appeared on Steven Bartlett's podcast "Diary of a CEO" in June. And his interview appeared to spark memories for Grammy-award-winning Harry, 30, as Simon revealed to Hello! magazine this week that the singer rang him.
"It was great to hear from him," Simon said. "He said listening to the podcast reminded him of what a great time we had together."
Despite this heartwarming call from Harry, it appears that not all former band members share the same sentiment. Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan unfollowed Simon on social media just days after the interview aired.
This move came after Simon expressed his biggest regret from managing the band - allowing them to own the One Direction name instead of himself. "The one thing I regret is I should have owned the name," Simon lamented during the podcast. "They own the name. I could have made an animation or something. So if you're listening One Direction then I will buy it back from you!"
According to The Sun, Niall and Louis cutting ties with their former boss was a direct fallout from these statements. Simon had admitted his naivety in not securing the name rights, expressing that the name's ownership restricted his ability to continue the band's legacy.
During the interview, Simon revealed that he was set to create a new competition this year to find the next big boy-band and vowed not to repeat the same mistake again by ensuring he owns the name.
He previously insisted Harry, Niall, and Louis had been "incredibly loyal" to him while Liam Payne, who signed a record deal with Republic Records in 2016, admitted feeling "definitely overworked" during their career.
Reflecting on his advice to the boys at the start of their journey, Simon recalled, "I told them to never complain about paparazzi because they are going to take your pictures, don't complain about invasion of privacy because people will always want to have a picture with you, don't complain about the long hours. If you want to be an accountant you won't have any of these issues but it won't be as fun."
As Simon Cowell gears up to find the next One Direction, only time will tell if he manages to replicate the phenomenal success and learn from his past regrets.
