MX23RW : Friday, January 3 03:24:27| >> :600:49245684:49245684:

Niall Horan admits becoming "recluse" during height of One Direction fame

Niall Horan admits becoming
© Reuters
Niall Horan admits that he was afraid to go out at the height of the One Direction mania.

Niall Horan has admitted to struggling with the instant fame he was afforded as a member of One Direction.

Now 29, the Irish singer shot to fame at the age of just 16 on The X Factor in 2010 as the boyband went on to become a worldwide phenomenon.

Speaking to The Sun about being thrust into the spotlight, he recalled: "There were periods where you'd go out and you wouldn't get five yards outside the door.

"I remember one time I stupidly went to Westfield [shopping centre] in West London, and honestly, swear to God, I was like, 'I'm going to die in here, I'm never getting out'. It was the fear of that which kept me in.

"I probably became a bit of a recluse in 2012, 2013, 2014... It was probably all in my head but I became a recluse because of the thought of going out, when I probably could have.

"There is a side of it where you've just come from zero to hero, the shock of it. It's a shock to the system and you're trying to live a normal life."

He added: "There was a period where if someone said, 'Do you want to grab a coffee?' or 'Do you want to go for lunch?' I'd have said 'absolutely not'."

Horan has previously spoken candidly about his childhood battles with obsessive compulsive disorder and anxiety.

ID:516052:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect2106:
Written by
Neil Wilkes

Follow us on Bluesky or on X/Twitter and like us on Facebook for the latest entertainment news alerts.

Media Mole's Lowest Ever Sky Offer: Get Sky Essential, Sky Stream & Netflix for just £15 a month + £0 upfront fee for 24 months!
Prices may change during this period. Ends March 19, 2025


Click here for more stories about Niall Horan

Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
Niall Horan on the golf course in 2018
Read Next:
Niall Horan unfazed by selfie requests at the urinals
>
rhs 2.0
New TV Picks header

New Year's Day


The Traitors: BBC One, 8pm
Well, what else could be our top recommendation?! Episode two on iPlayer from 9pm.

EastEnders: BBC One, 10pm
Nish prepares to sabotage Suki and Eve's wedding - could this be his final act?

Vera: ITV1, 8pm
It's almost time for Vera to go, pet. The first of two final episodes

Gavin & Stacey: A Fond Farewell: BBC One, 7pm
Behind the scenes on the final ever episode

2024: Celebs We Cancelled: Channel 5, 9pm
Remembering those who fell from grace in 2024

Murder, She Wrote Movie Day: GREAT! tv, from 1.10pm
Jessica Fletcher investigates... but spends more than an hour doing it