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Liam Payne: There were divas recording Band Aid 30


Liam Payne claims there were "divas" at the recording of the Band Aid 30 single.

The One Direction singer insists he and his bandmates – Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan – weren’t in the studio for long enough to mingle with their fellow stars on the latest recording of ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas Time?’ but says the charity track’s organiser Bob Geldof "wasn’t happy" with some of those who took part.

He told BBC Radio 1’s Scott Mills: "We actually managed to get in the recording booth first so we were done in like an hour so we left. I missed all the drama.

"Bob did a little speech at the start. I say a little speech but it was the most epic thing I’ve ever heard in my life.

"He said to our manager, ‘There are so many people here and you guys are the least fussed’. And I was like ‘Yes. we’re not divas. That’s so good’."

"I’m not going to repeat the word he used to describe them but he wasn’t happy with some people."

Liam’s comments come after one of the singers on the track, Emeli Sande admitted she felt they should have recorded a different song to raise money to tackle the Ebola crisis in West Africa and apologised for causing offence with the lyrics.

She tweeted at the weekend: "Yes, I agree the lyric needs changing. In fact I feel a whole new song is required. Angelique Kidjo and I made and sang our own edits. Unfortunately, none of these made the final cut…

"I apologise if the lyrics of the song have caused offence. I wish the changes had been kept but that is out of my control. The sole objective is to raise awareness and money to provide medical aid to those suffering the Ebola outbreak, which is being worsened and amplified by poverty. Thank you so much for your support."

Meanwhile, Lily Allen has branded the project "smug" and said she would rather donate money directly than have taken part in the recording.

She said: "I got an email asking me to do it. It’s difficult to explain why I didn’t do it without sounding like a complete ****.

"I prefer to do my charitable bit by donating actual money and not being lumped in a with a bunch of people like that.

"It’s like the success club and I’m not really in that club. I don’t think I’m above it all – I’m way below it. But there’s something a bit smug about it."