We can’t imagine any other members in One Direction — the legendary boy band was formed perfectly back on British X-Factor in 2010. But, how exactly were the boys chosen? Keep reading to uncover who picked out the final lineup, why they were chosen and more.
Who Created One Direction?
One Direction was formed by X-Factor judges Simon Cowell, Nicole Scherzinger and Louis Walsh — and the entire process was filmed!
As every Directioner knows, Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson all auditioned as solo artists on British X-Factor back in 2010. After failing to make it the judges’ houses round with the rest of the soloists, Simon, Nicole and Louis thought to pick out certain contestants to form a boy band.
The unseen footage of the judges creating One Direction was finally released in 2022 — and shows that Nicole had a *huge* say in how the boys were picked out! “When you’ve waited TWELVE YEARS to find out exactly how @onedirection was formed,” the official X Factor account tweeted in July 2022. “FINALLY, here’s how.”
How Were the One Direction Members Chosen?
The clip shows the judges sorting through possible candidates for 1D in an assortment of photos set on a table. It’s revealed that Niall was the first selection for the group, with Harry’s photo being shown next. “Oh, yes. Put him with him,” Nicole exclaimed of Niall and Harry’s pics. “They’re the cutest boy band ever,” she gushed, as Louis joins the table lineup.
“They’re just too talented to get rid of,” she continued. “They’ve got just the right look and the right charisma onstage. I think they’ll be really great in a boy band together. They’re like little stars. You can’t get rid of little stars, you know? So you put them all together.”
The next clip reveals that Simon was originally uncertain over Liam, until Nicole assures him that he has a “leader” quality to him, adding that she “thinks he’s better than anyone else.”
Simon then showed some excitement about adding Zayn to the final lineup: “Zayn. Now that is a good idea.”
And the rest was “History.“
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