How Louis Tomlinson And Liam Payne Really Felt About Each Other When They First Met

One Direction was one of the biggest boybands of all time. The group — which consisted of Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, and Zayne Malik — quickly drew the interest of fans. However, they had no prior connections before forming. In fact, the group started out on the UK version of "The X Factor," per Britannica. The guys immediately began to gain popularity and ultimately became a huge hit, recording mega-hit songs such as "What Makes You Beautiful," "Story Of My Life," and "Best Song Ever" (via Digital Spy).

However, fans were stunned in 2015 when Malik announced he was leaving the group. 1D went on to record one album without Malik before announcing that they were planning to go on hiatus. "They are great friends and fully support one another," a source said of Horan, Tomlinson, Styles, and Payne following the announcement of the split (via E! News). "They are very aware that they are able to work on their own stuff as well as remain together. This is an exciting time for them creatively and as a group."

While One Direction seemed to part on mostly good terms, their friendships weren't always so solid. In fact, two of the guys downright hated each other when the group was first formed.

In October 2021, One Direction member Liam Payne stunned fans when he opened up about the group's dynamic in the early days. Payne admitted that, although he and his 1D bandmates are now close pals, that wasn't always the case. Instead, Payne says that he and Louis Tomlinson didn't get along at all when the group was first formed. Payne went as far as to say that the two singers actually "hated" each other at first.

"Me and Louis did not get along. We all got thrown together, and we didn't know each other when got made into a band," Payne previously told Entertainment Tonight Canada (via The Beat). "We hated each other, it was that strong!" However, the guys quickly settled into a rhythm and even became close. Payne says that he and Tomlinson are actually great friends now. "Now we are actually the best of friends within the band, which I think is absolutely hilarious ... I think even in those moments of angst it breathes a connection between you both," he stated.

Many fans are hoping that the group's friendship could eventually lead to a reunion, although One Direction hasn't released any new music since 2015.