Niall Horan credits Katy Perry for shaping his career.
The One Direction star shot to fame after auditioning on ‘The X Factor’ in 2010, on which he would end up being put into the boy band alongside Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik.
And the 27-year-old Irish singer has revealed it’s guest judge Katy who he owes for his global success.
While appearing on SiriusXM’s ‘The Morning Mash Up’, Niall was asked to name the person who has helped him become the international star he is.
He replied: "If Katy Perry didn’t put me through in my audition I wouldn’t be here. That’s a fact. So Katy Perry is a good shout."
And quizzed on whether the ‘Dark Horse’ hitmaker knows that she’s played a key part in Niall’s trajectory to superstardom, he quipped: "She is fully aware of that and she prides herself on it!"
July marked 10 years since One Direction formed on Simon Cowell’s talent show.
To mark the anniversary, Niall reflected: "when I met these four gents there was no way I thought we would go on to do what we did. So many unbelievable memories we shared together. We felt the adoration of millions from around the planet on a daily basis and it was mind blowing.
"It’s such a major part of our lives and always will be. Cheers to US today boys and thank you to all you beautiful people who have supported us over the last 10 years. @LiamPayne @Harry_Styles @zaynmalik @Louis_Tomlinson #10YearsOfOneDirection
"It’s the 150 person crew of carpenters, lighting, riggers, sound, stage manager Mill that flew the globe with us. it’s our band, our security boys, tour managers, our managers, our label, Sarah cooking our food for us on the road. Today is a day to celebrate those guys also."
Zayn quit the band in 2015, while One Direction went on an indefinite hiatus in 2016, and Harry, Louis, Niall and Liam went on to pursue solo careers.