"I did try to do something that I wasn't happy doing for a while, for the sake of maybe other people's happiness--and that was mainly the fans," Malik said. "And I only ever tried to do it for the fans, and it was only ever for them. And basically, I'm only upset I feel like I may have let them down in some sort of way. That's the main thing that I don't want to happen. It's not that I've turned my back on them or anything, it's just that I just can't do that anymore because it's not real to me."

He added that there was no bad blood within One Direction that caused him to leave, and doesn't think any of the remaining four members plan on doing the same.

"When I was there as well, we were all' there were no contingencies, do you know what I mean?" he said. "It was always just everyone kind of doing what we were doing and that's why it's been really good for me, because I feel it's been a bit different to what other bands have broke up by, or when a member's left or whatever.