Liam Payne Reveals One Direction Was “Toxic”

Liam Payne revealed that being in One Direction was "toxic" and that he often turned to drinking to cope with his feelings. In a recent interview with Men's Health Australia, Payne confessed that the group's sudden fame was "jarring" and that most of the time he felt incredibly lonely, despite constant interaction with his fellow bandmates. He also said that he never felt "in control" and that the experience exacerbated his struggle with anxiety that continues to this day.

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Payne said that the group's rigorous and repetitive touring routine didn't help during times that he felt unhappy. "I was [upset] quite a lot of the time because there was no other way to get your head around what was going on. I mean it was fun. We had an absolute blast but there were certain parts of it where it just got a little bit toxic," he revealed.

Payne added that One Direction's break up was a good thing that saved him from the "traps of the industry." Payne was only 17-years-old when Simon Cowell put the group together on The X Factor in 2010. They announced their hiatus at the start of 2016.