Louis Tomlinson: Everything you need to know about the 'Walls' singer

His documentary film is available to stream

Author: Anna Sky MagliolaPublished 27th Dec 2023

Louis Tomlinson rose to fame after competing on The X Factor in 2010, becoming part of One Direction alongside Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Niall Horan and Zayn Malik. The five of them went on to be one of the biggest boybands in the world, releasing five albums and going on world tours before taking a hiatus in 2016.

Since then, Louis has embarked on a successful solo career, releasing debut album 'Walls' in January 2020 and his follow-up 'Faith In The Future' in November 2022! He's also released a documentary called All Of Those Voices, which you can stream now on Paramount+. Here's everything you need to know about Louis Tomlinson...

How old is Louis Tomlinson?

Louis William Tomlinson was born on Christmas Eve in 1991, making him 32-years-old. Louis was the oldest member of One Direction, being 13 months older than second eldest Zayn Malik.

Louis Tomlinson's star sign is Capricorn. Apparently, typical Capricorns live by the motto, ‘Slow, steady and win the race.’

Where is Louis Tomlinson from?

Louis was brought up in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Other famous people who hail from the town include Jeremy Clarkson, Kevin Keegan and Brian Blessed!

What is Louis' documentary called?

In March 2023, Louis released a documentary called All Of Those Voices, the film follows the singer as One Direction start their hiatus and he's wondering what to do next. Former bandmate Liam Payne joined Louis for the premiere of his film in London, and later shared his thoughts on the film, congratulating him.

Liam told Louis: 'I’m so proud of how you did it not only with amazing music but with passion and the will to get up off the canvas every time life beat you down and fight back.'

Watch the trailer for All Of Those Voices below:

The film was added to Paramount+ on 5th October 2023.

What is Louis Tomlinson like?

As well as a solo career, the former One Direction singer makes time for his fans. Louis made time for one of his young fans by sending him a handwritten message and a hamper full of gifts. The little boy's mum tweeted her appreciation saying, 'Just had an amazing call from @MakeAWishUK louis has reached out to Harrysson and sent him lots of bits my heart is literally going to burst thank you for always being there for my precious boy!' (sic)

In an interview with us, Louis revealed what he misses about being with the One Direction boys. He also opened up about his single 'Two Of Us', which had a very emotional video. The video followed Richard who was up for anything despite losing his wife in the same month Louis lost his mum.

During the interview, Louis was asked, if he could be another celebrity for the day, who would it be? Louis admitted it would probably be his friend and former One Direction member Niall Horan.

Following the release of Stranger Things 3, the pair had a Twitter exchange in which Louis offered to watch Stranger Things with Niall, despite not being a fan. Louis explained, Niall used to be scared of the series, so he would 'grin and bear' it to watch it with his friend. Aww!

When did Louis break his arm?

Louis broke his arm after a show in New York, following the release of his second solo album. He shared the update with his fans, apologising for having to postpone some in-store signings as he'd broken his right arm. The singer also shared some painful-looking X-rays of his injury.

Is Louis Tomlinson still friends with other One Direction members?

Louis also told us that he's still really good friends with his 1D pals. Speaking to us in September 2019 shortly after Liam's birthday, Louis said: "I spoke to him a couple days after his birthday actually. I’m not going to lie, I was actually really busy on the day, I missed his birthday but to be fair to Liam, he’s proper sound.

"I just rang him the next day, explained and he was cool, and Liam’s probably the one I’ve spoken to most recently before his birthday. I’ve been chatting to him a bit on the phone when I’ve had some time in LA and I’ve been getting up proper jetlagged, so I give Liam a ring just to catch up with him.

"I saw Niall at Glastonbury. I’ve not seen Harry for a while but I’ve been in contact with him, you know, recently so - it’s proper nice. Proper nice."

In November 2022, Louis admitted he'd initially been "envious" of Harry Styles' solo success, but added that he looked on him as a "brother". You can take a look at some of the biggest moments of Harry and Louis' friendship here.

And in March 2023, Liam Payne joined Louis at the premiere of his documentary. The pair were seen in Leicester Square together, and after the event he took to Twitter to give Liam a special thank you for coming. He told his followers: 'Special thank you to Liam for being there for me. It means the absolute world. Love you lad!'.

Is Louis Tomlinson going on tour?

He's now finished the UK and Ireland leg of his world tour! Louis took his second album 'Faith In The Future' on tour, performing in Dublin, Sheffield, Manchester, Glasgow, Brighton, Cardiff, London and Birmingham in November 2023.

Louis Tomlinson

What is Louis Tomlinson's net worth?

Louis Tomlinson is worth an estimated £47 million, thanks to the singer's time in One Direction and his solo material. Louis appeared on the heat Rich List in 2021. In the 2022 edition, Louis was reported to be worth £48.3 million.

What does Louis Tomlinson have on his rider?

Louis Tomlinson revealed to us that he has a very simple rider for his shows. He told us that he likes to have Yorkshire Tea teabags. The pop star, who was born in Doncaster, says tea and some good sweets or chocolate will do him!

"I'm not going to lie, I've never had a good rider," he explained: "I realised, pretty early on, it blew my mind - the idea of a rider. The only thing that's ever on my rider, honestly, and it's properly stereotypical, is Yorkshire tea teabags.

"That's literally it!"

Louis Tomlinson on The X Factor

Louis first auditioned for The X Factor in 2009 but didn't get through the producer's audition, but that made him more determined to return in 2010 as a solo artist at the age of 19. He then met his future bandmate Harry Styles in the toilets at The X Factor auditions in Manchester.

Although he made it through to bootcamp after singing a version of Plain White T’s ‘Hey There Delilah’ and getting a clean sweep of yeses from the judges, he wasn't able to progress as a solo artist.

However, judge Nicole Scherzinger suggested that he go through in a group with some other rejected solo boys, and he was put together with Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne and Harry Styles.

They went through to Judges' Houses, singing an acoustic version of 'Torn' by Natalie Imbruglia with Simon Cowell himself commenting that the group "were confident, fun, like a gang of friends and kind of fearless as well."

They were Simon's last act standing on the series, but finished in third place behind Matt Cardle and Rebecca Ferguson.

When One Direction formed, Louis’s big ambition was to go "straight to the top." Proof that dreams come true! He also once said that if he could give anyone a tip when auditioning for The X Factor it would be "just be yourself and really try and get your personality through in your song choice and interview."

Although Louis later returned to The X Factor as a performer, he took part in the show in 2018 as part of a brand new line-up alongside Robbie Williams - coincidentally, someone who Louis once called his 'man crush'.

He also once said that Robbie is his biggest role model, telling Hits Radio, "I’ve got a massive musical icon and that’s Robbie Williams. We actually got to sing with him on The X Factor and it was absolutely amazing."

Louis Tomlinson in One Direction

After coming third on The X Factor, the boys were signed to Simon Cowell's label Syco in a reported £2 million contract and immediately started working on their debut album. They took part in The X Factor Live Tour in 2011, and released their debut single 'What Makes You Beautiful' in September that year, which debuted at Number 1.

The debut album 'Up All Night' was released in November 2011, and Louis’s favourite track on ‘Up All Night’ is the Ed Sheeran-penned track ‘Moments’. The track appears on the deluxe version of the record.

They released second album 'Take Me Home' exactly one year later. Their documentary and concert film One Direction: This Is Us was released in August 2013 and grossed $68.5 million worldwide.

Third album 'Midnight Memories' was released in November 2013, and fourth album 'Four' came out in November 2014. Just prior to the release of their fifth album 'Made in the A.M.' in November 2015, the band announced in August that they would be taking a hiatus, following the departure of Zayn Malik in March.

What was Louis Tomlinson like in One Direction?

According to his bandmates, Louis had the smelliest feet in One Direction! Niall once said, "Louis wears plimsolls with no socks so his feet get very sweaty and the sweat is captured. If we are on a bus or something and he takes them off we all pretty much start gagging." Despite having smelly feet, Louis is a big fan of shoes! His favourite types are chinos and Toms and he's a size 10.

Louis also revealed in an interview with us that Niall is the one person in the world he would swap bodies with, "I’ll go close to home Niall Horan, he doesn’t worry about anything in the world, Irish accent I’m not too bad I spend a lot of time with Niall."

Louis was given a telling off by police when filming the ‘What Makes You Beautiful’ video Los Angeles in July 2011 for his erratic driving. Afterwards, he explained, "I got pulled over by the US police. They thought I was all over the place. The officer goes, 'Listen, man, I can shut this thing down if you carry on driving like this. You're driving like a maniac.' And I was like, 'Man, put the gun down. I don't want no trouble.'"

He also says that he and his 1D bandmates are like brothers. Admitting that they occasionally bickered in the band, Louis told Digital Spy, "Because we're around each other so often it's like arguing with your siblings. You fall out with them, go away and have a bit of a paddy, then come back and get over it."

Louis hates rumours, especially when they involve Harry and himself. In a Tumblr interview he explained, "Me and Harry are best friends, people look into our every move. It is actually affecting the way me and Harry are in public, We want to joke around but there seems to be a different rumour every time we do anything."

Louis once said that he likes snuggling up in bed with one of the One Directioners... HARRY! He said, "A few weeks ago I made a cup of tea, then went and got in bed with Harry and we watched a show called something like The Top 50 Boybands Of All Time." Nice!

Louis has approximately 1 minute and 30 seconds of solos on ‘Up All Night’ – the second least behind Niall Horan. Louis says he’ll "never get used to" the adoration he receives from fans. He once said, "At the end of the day we’re doing something that we really love and to be appreciated for that is really nice."

Louis told us the one thing he misses about being in One Direction, "Probably touring, that’s why I’m excited to perform today and excited to get out and spent time touring the world as that’s probably the best thing about being an artist."

It was no surprise that despite their hiatus, Louis took to his socials to celebrate One Direction's 10th anniversary in 2020.

Louis, took to Instagram to share an adorable photo of the boys at the very start of their career, writing, 'Our first ever photo together. The memories we've shared together have been incredible. Can't believe it's been 10 years already. I look back incredibly proud. Thanks for everything lads and love to you the fans as always x.'

What does Louis Tomlinson think about One Direction's music?

Six years after One Direction started their hiatus, Louis Tomlinson has revealed what he really thought of their music. In an interview with an Australian radio show called Smallzy’s Surgery he told Kent ‘Smallzy’ Small: "The first album was s--t anyway," in response to the host joking that he was "late to the party", only interviewing One Direction in 2012, when the band formed in 2010.

Unseen footage of the moment the members of the band were chosen by judges Simon Cowell, Louis Walsh and Nicole Scherzinger was released by The X Factor in 2022.

Louis Tomlinson's solo career music

After his successful solo performance on The X Factor in 2018, Louis delighted his fans in March when he dropped his amazing new single 'Two Of Us'.

The song, which is adored by fans, is a tribute to Louis' late mum Johannah Deakin. Johannah left behind seven children, including Louis, at the end of 2016, when she lost her battle with an aggressive form of leukaemia at the age of just 42.

Louis' track 'Two Of Us' features the lyrics, 'I know you'll be looking down/Swear I'm gonna make you proud/I'll be living one life for the two of us.'

The heartwarming music video saw Louis team up with 83-year-old Richard Green to complete a bucket list of adventures that he'd been trying to complete after losing his wife Pat in December 2016 - the same month Louis tragically lost his mother, Johannah Deakin.

Thanks to the success of the video, Louis has helped to raise a whopping £10,000 for the Bluebell Wood Children's Hospice with the music video, which encourages fans to donate to the Sheffield-base charity in a call to action on his music video, which also promotes the Alzheimer's Society and Cancer Research UK.

He told us about the video, "He is, honestly, one the most amazing men I’ve ever met. Probably the most amazing man. I was so in awe of him, you know. Eighty-four, and to have that outlook on life. He was an amazing guy. Really funny as well.

"Just his outlook in general was what I took from that whole experience. You know, he recently had lost his wife but his outlook was so positive and a lot of people are entitled to dwell and be sad about those kind of things. But he was the exact opposite. He was so upbeat, so fun, and up for anything."

Louis Tomlinson's new music

Louis released 'Kill My Mind' in September 2019. The single was a completely new direction from Louis' previous pop influences both in One Direction and the beginning of his solo career.

He also released 'We Made It' in October 2019, after teasing the single on social media.

Louis Tomlinson's album 'Walls'

Louis released his debut solo album 'Walls' on 31st January 2020. In an interview with us, Louis revealed more details of his album, saying, "Everything's fully mastered, fully signed off, that was as of about two weeks ago. About three weeks ago I had a listen down to the album top to bottom. I'm not going to lie, I'm proud of it, I'm really happy with where it finished off."

He also told us, "Lyrically, I always try and be as honest as possible, so there will be some honesty in the lyrics. And musically, you know, keep it organic and live, so they're some guitars in there and that."

In July 2020 he announced he would be parting ways with Syco Music. The singer also confirmed he was very excited for the future, saying, ''I'm really excited for the future and to be back in the studio writing the next album. Can't wait to finally see you all on tour!!'

Louis Tomlinson's family

Louis' parents are Johannah Deakin and Troy Austin. In 2011, his mum Johannah and stepdad Mark split up and he took on his stepfather Mark Tomlinson’s surname. Speaking about his mum, Louis said, "It must be so much harder for her because I’m living this fantastic life and being so busy every day whereas she’s still in the old life I was in but without me... It must be really difficult for her not to get upset."

Johannah sadly passed away in 2016, and Louis paid tribute to his mum on the anniversary of her passing.

Louis was incredibly close with his mum, and she once told Sugarscape that Louis is a giver and not a taker. In fact, there’s nothing he enjoys more than giving his friends and family presents, "He’s not a materialistic person himself, but he likes to give people things. He spoils me and the girls and he's happiest doing that."

He also has five younger half-sisters - one on his father's side (Georgia), and four on his mother's side (Charlotte, Félicité, and twins Daisy and Phoebe). Sadly, it was announced in March 2019 that Louis' sister Félicité tragically passed away after suffering a suspected cardiac arrest, at the age of just 18.

Just days after the release of his brand new single 'Two Of Us' in memory of his late mum, Louis' 18-year-old sister Félicité Tomlinson tragically died after she suffered a cardiac arrest.

A Metropolitan Police spokesperson confirmed, "Police were called by London Ambulance Service at 12.52pm on Wednesday, March 13 to a residential address in SW5 following reports of a female in cardiac arrest. At this stage the death is being treated as unexplained. A post-mortem examination will take place in due course. Enquiries continue."

Is Louis Tomlinson a dad?

He is indeed! In July 2015, it was reported that Louis was expecting a baby with stylist Briana Jungwirth, and he confirmed the rumours in an interview in August on Good Morning America. Their son Freddie Reign was born in January 2016. He's now four-years-old, and fans think he's the spitting image of his dad!

In January 2020, to celebrate Freddie's fourth birthday, Louis's ex Brianna Jungwirth uploaded the cutest photo of their son to Instagram, writing, 'Birthday Boy'.

She also shared a tribute to Louis on Father's Day in 2020, sharing a previously-unseen photo of the day Freddie was born. She wrote, 'Happy Father’s Day Louis. We’ve created the most special boy and he’s lucky to call you his dad.'

What did Louis Tomlinson do before The X Factor?

Louis had a number of part-time jobs before The X Factor, including working at a local cinema and as a hospitality waiter at Doncaster Rovers Football Club. When he was younger, Louis wanted to work on a farm.

He also once revealed that if he wasn’t a multi-million selling pop megastar, he reckons he’d be training to be a drama teacher.

Where did Louis Tomlinson go to school?

When he first auditioned for The X Factor, Louis was a sixth form student at Hall Cross School in Doncaster. Louis also attended The Hayfield School in Doncaster, but dropped out when he failed his first year of A-levels.

Has Louis Tomlinson ever acted?

When he was just 11-years-old, Louis had a role as an extra on ITV drama Fat Friends. His newborn sisters Daisy and Phoebe starred as babies on the show. Spurred on by his appearance on Fat Friends, Louis attended acting school in his spare time and eventually had small parts in 2006 ITV drama If I Had You! and Waterloo Road.

As a student, Louis played the lead role of Danny Zuko in a high school production of Grease. He says playing the part gave him the confidence to audition for The X Factor.

WATCH: Louis Tomlinson answers the internet's biggest questions

Does Louis Tomlinson have hearing problems?

Louis suffers from a ringing noise in his right ear. Although yet to be officially diagnosed it’s thought it could be tinnitus which can lead to deafness if untreated. He once said, "I am going slightly deaf in my right ear. It’s tinnitus, something like that," before joking that it was because of screaming fans.

Is Louis Tomlinson good at cooking?

Louis admits he’s a really bad cook. Speaking to us in May 2019, Louis admitted that whilst he's very romantic, he's not great in the kitchen! "When I first met my girlfriend... I am a horrific cook, a very, very bad cook. I give it a go, you know what I mean, I’ll try.

"So, I said to her, 'I’ll make you a nice meal'. Honestly, she did all the polite things and said it was lovely. I, obviously tasted it too, it was awful. It was awful, really poor."

Despite his lack of skills, he appeared alongside Harry in a cooking segment on This Morning in September 2011.

Can Louis Tomlinson play any musical instruments?

When he was 14, Louis played lead guitar in a band called The Rogue with his schoolmates.

Louis is also pretty decent on the piano and he loves to play ‘Mr Brightside’ by The Killers. Louis is a big fan of Las Vegas rockers The Killers. After seeing them perform at V Festival, he tweeted, 'Watching Mr Brightside live last night was unbelievable. LOVED The Killers!!'

Unfortunately, Louis was fined £80 for speeding on the way to V Festival in 2012. It’s reported that he was going 48mph in a 40mph zone, which means that he may also have had three points on his licence. Ouch!

What are Louis Tomlinson's favourite TV shows?

His favourite TV shows are Misfits and One Tree Hill. In a recent interview with us, Louis revealed that he also loves Westworld and Black Mirror.

Check out One Direction through the years:

2010: One Direction were born on The X Factor

One Direction formed on The X Factor in 2010. Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik auditioned as individual contestants and were put together as a group by Simon Cowell and guest judge Nicole Scherzinger.

2010: One Direction finish in third place on The X Factor

Despite racking up an army of fans during their time on the show, One Direction didn't win The X Factor. Instead they finished in third place behind Rebecca Ferguson and winner Matt Cardle.

2011: One Direction release first single 'What Makes You Beautiful'

After landing a record deal following their appearance on The X Factor, One Direction released their first ever single 'What Makes You Beautiful' in September 2011.


The single, which hit the Number 1 spot in the UK charts, served as the lead single from their debut album 'Up All Night'.

2011: One Direction release their debut album 'Up All Night'

The 1D boys recorded their debut album in the UK, America and Sweden, releasing 'Up All Night' in November 2011 in the UK and Ireland.


The album featured lead single 'What Makes You Beautiful', as well as future singles, 'Gotta Be You' and 'One Thing'.

2011: One Direction return to The X Factor

After a successful year in the music industry, One Direction returned to the show that made them famous, to perform their single 'Gotta Be You'.

2011-2012: The Up All Night Tour

Following the success of their debut album, One Direction kicked off their The Up All Night Tour in Decmeber 2011, going on to play 54 dates across the UK, Ireland, Oceania and North America.


The tour was an instant success, with tickets for all dates selling out within a matter of minutes of going on sale. The tour was later turned into a DVD, titled Up All Night: The Live Tour.

2012: One Direction release second album 'Take Me Home'

One Direction didn't wait long before they released their second studio album! Titled 'Take Me Home', the boys dropped the album in November 2012, with it going on to top the charts in 35 countries!


'Take Me Home' featured singles such as 'Live While We're Young', 'Kiss You' and 'Little Things'.

2012: One Direction win their first ever BRIT Award

2012 was a great year for One Direction! The band picked up their first ever BRIT Award in the British Single category, for their debut single 'What Makes You Beautiful'.


The band beat the likes of Adele, Ed Sheeran, JLS and Olly Murs to pick up the gong, which became the first of seven for the band over the years.

2012: One Direction launch their own dolls

As if dominating the charts wasn't enough, the One Direction boys teamed up with Hasbro in 2012 to launch their very own range of plastic dolls.

2013: The Take Me Home Tour

After the worldwide success of their debut tour, One Direction went on their Take Me Home tour in 2013, playing at sold-out shows in countries like England, China, Australia and America.

2013: One Direction: This Is Us

Whilst touring the world with the Take Me Home tour in 2013, One Direction released a 3D-documentary film about the time on their road, titled One Direction: This Is Us.


The film, which showed clips of the boys on stage and behind the scenes, grossed $68 million worldwide.

2013: One Direction release their third album 'Midnight Memories'

Just weeks after finishing their massive Take Me Home tour, One Direction dropped their third studio album, titled 'Midnight Memories'.


The album flew straight to Number 1 in both the UK and the US, becoing the fastest selling album of 2013, despite being released just a few weeks before 2014.


The record featured the singles, 'Best Song Ever', 'Story of My Life', 'Midnight Memories', and 'You & I'.

2013: One Direction release charity single for Comic Relief

The One Direction boys did their bit for charity in 2013, mashing-up a medley of Blondie's 'One Way or Another' and The Undertones' 'Teenage Kicks'.


The track titled 'One Way Or Another (Teenage Kicks)' was released as the official Red Nose Day single in 2013, with then Prime Minister David Cameron even making a cameo appearance in the music video.

2013: One Direction land in Madame Tussauds

In 2013, One Direction become the first boy band to be created into waxworks for Madame Tussauds London since The Beatles' figures in 1964.


The waxworks were one of the museums most popular installments of the last decade, and we can see why!

2014: The Where We Are Tour

Following on from their mammoth 2013 tour, the 1D boys went back out on the road in 2014, this time with their Where We Are Tour.


Playing at sold-out dates across the world, the tour ran between April and October, with the boys performing at 69 shows in total.


The tour was the band's biggest to date, with over 3,439,560 million fans turning up to see their idols perform.

2014: One Direction release their fourth album

Released in November 2014, One Direction released their final album as a five-piece, titled 'Four'.


The album, which featured hits like 'Steal My Girl' and 'Stockholm Syndrome', debuted at Number 1 in a massive 18 countries!

2015: One Direction kick off their On The Road Again Tour

In February 2015, Harry, Zayn, Liam, Louis and Niall kicked off their fourth tour, titled On The Road Again. The tour, which turned out to be their last as a band, grossed $208 million from 80 shows.

2015: Zayn announces he's leaving

Zayn Malik broke the hearts of many One Direction fans in March 2015, announcing he was leaving the popular group.


One Direction said in a statement at the time, "After five incredible years Zayn Malik has decided to leave On Direction. Niall, Harry, Liam and Louis will continue as a four-piece and look forward to the forthcoming concerts of their world tour and recording their fifth album, due to be released later this year."

2015: One Direction continues as a group of four

Harry, Louis, Niall and Liam continued One Direction as a four-piece, finishing their On The Road Again tour in October 2015.

2015: One Direction release their final album

The One Direction boys dropped their first album as a four-piece in November 2015, titled 'Made In The A.M.'


The album, which turned out to be the band's last, featured singles like 'Drag Me Down', 'Perfect' and 'History', and went on to be the sixth best-selling album of 2015.

2015: One Direction announce their hiatus

Much to the heartbreak of fans across the world, One Direction announced they would be taking an extended hiatus, which would start in 2016.

2015: One Direction return to The X Factor for a final time

After confirming they were set to take a break, Harry, Louis, Liam and Niall performed at The X Factor final in December 2015, leaving fans in tears as they performed 'History'.


Simon Cowell thanked the band for their hard work over the years, expressing his admiration for the group.

2016: One Direction start their hiatus

Following their final televised performance on Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve on 31st December 2015, the One Direction boys went their separate ways, all going on to release solo music.

2016: Louis Tomlinson becomes a dad

In January 2016, Louis announced the birth of his son Freddie Reign Tomlinson with his ex-girlfriend Brianne Jungwirth.


The singer uploaded this cute photo to his Instagram page and wrote on Twitter, 'I'm pleased to say my baby son was born yesterday :) He is healthy and pretty amazing :) I'm very happy!!'. (sic)

'I Don't Wanna Live Forever' with Zayn - 2017

This track was recorded for the soundtrack to 'Fifty Shades Darker', it was the most popular hit from the movie franchise.
Listen to 'I Don't Wanna Live Forever' on YouTube.

2016: Niall Horan releases his debut solo single 'This Town'

Niall delighted One Direction fans in September 2016 when he dropped his debut solo single 'This Town'. The track was the lead single from his debut album 'Flicker' which was released in 2017.


The singer went on to release hits such as 'Slow Hands' and 'Nice To Meet Ya', before dropping his second solo album, titled 'Heartbreak Weather' in March 2020.

2016: Louis Tomlinson teams up with Steve Aoki

Louis teamed up with American DJ Steve Aoki to release his debut solo single 'Just Hold On' in December 2016. Just days after the tragic death of his mum Johannah Deakin, Louis gave an emotional performance of the track on The X Factor.


The singer went on to release hits like 'Miss You', 'Back To You' and 'We Made It', before dropping his debut solo album 'Walls' in January 2020.

2017: One Direction win their seventh BRIT Award

Despite being on a hiatus, Liam and Louis attended the 2017 BRIT Awards to collect the band's seventh BRIT Award! The band picked up an award in the Best Video category for their single 'History'.

2017: Liam Payne becomes a dad

In March 2017, after one of the most secretive pregnancies ever, Liam announced he'd become a dad after his then girlfriend Cheryl Cole had given birth to a baby boy called Bear Grey Payne.


The couple sadly split in 2018, but both Liam and Cheryl continue to co-parent Bear.

2017: Harry Styles releases debut solo music

After much anticipation, in April 2017 Harry released his debut solo single 'Sign Of The Times', showing a complete different sound to One Direction.


The singer went on to release his self-titled debut album in the same year, before dropping his second album 'Fine Line' in 2019.


In May 2020, Harry excited fans by releasing the amazing music video for his latest single 'Watermelon Sugar'.

2017: Liam Payne kicks off his solo career

Following on from his 1D band mates, Liam dropped his debut solo single 'Strip That Down' in 2017, before going on to release hits like 'Get Low', 'For You' and 'Bedroom Floor'.


Despite making fans wait, Liam went on to drop his debut solo album 'LP1' in December 2019, before teaming up with Alesso for the single 'Midnight' in 2020.

2017: Harry Styles made his acting debut

After releasing his debut solo music, Harry also landed a role in Christopher Nolan's box office movie Dunkirk!


Harry played the role of a young solider called Alex, as hundreds of thousands of soldiers tried to evacuate from Dunkirk beach during the early stages of World War II.

2020: Zayn Malik announces he's going to become a dad

After years of dating on and off, in 2020 American model Gigi Hadid announced she was expecting her first child with former 1D singer Zayn Malik! They welcomed a baby girl called Khai in September 2020, before splitting in October 2021.

2020: One Direction reunion rumours

After years of working on their solo careers, rumours of a One Direction reunion really started to become more frequent in 2020, as the boys celebrate their 10th year anniversary.


Despite a number of the lads teasing the possibility of a 1D reunion, up until now, nothing has been confirmed.

2022: One Direction's 'Drag Me Down' music video reaches 1 billion views

In May 2022, One Direction's 'Drag Me Down' music video reached 1 billion views on YouTube. The song was originally released in 2015, it was the first music video to not feature former member Zayn Malik, who had left earlier that year.

2023: One Direction's 'What Makes You Beautiful' reaches 1 billion streams

'What Makes You Beautiful' was the debut song released by One Direction back in 2011 and in August it reached 1 billion streams. It has already surpassed 1 billion views for the music video on YouTube.

Now read:

One Direction: 107 facts you never knew about the boys ❤️

80 weird and wonderful facts about Harry Styles 💕

The X Factor: A complete history of the show

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