Nicole Scherzinger has reflected on how she instantly spotted the star potential of One Direction and Rylan Clark when they auditioned while she was a judge on The X Factor.
The former Pussycat Dolls singer, 45, claims she was the one who suggested to head judge Simon Cowell that Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Liam Payne would be “stronger as a group” after they all auditioned individually back in 2010.
While they finished in third place in the ITV singing competition, they sparked a frenzy not seen since Beatlemania and went on to sell over 70m records worldwide.
Since going on indefinite hiatus in 2015 after five years at the top, each have embarked on solo endeavours with Styles particularly excelling.
In addition to earning three Grammy Awards, including scooping the covered Album of the Year at last year’s ceremony for his third solo record Harry’s House, he has also branched out into acting in films such as Dunkirk, Don’t Worry Darling and My Police Man.
Meanwhile, Rylan Clark, 35, has gone on to become an in-demand TV and radio presenter after initially proving a Marmite choice for viewers on The X Factor in 2012.
Appearing on the latest episode of Elizabeth Day’s How To Fail podcast, she said: “I think it's going to sound really bad. Like when you have it, something within you, and I believe we're all chosen for various reasons, right? Everyone is chosen, has a great purpose for various reasons, but when you have that something, you can then recognize it within someone else. You see it. I don't know how I fell into that job.
“I fell into it accidentally, because, bless, dear Cheryl Cole got ill and they needed me to fill in. And I was doing boot camp and I was like, ‘listen, I just came from the Pussycat Dolls. These guys, we have too many boys in this category that are too good, but it's a shame to let go of these guys. They're going to be stronger together as a group, Simon. We've got to create a group’” she continued.
“At that time, there wasn't any groups like that. There were more man band groups, like Take That and Westlife and Backstreet Boys. And we didn't have any younger groups. So, I don't know. I'm a visionary. This is why Simon keeps me in his back pocket.
“I'm just joking,” she laughed.
“I just think that when you have that thing, you're able to see it within others. And I'm so proud of everybody. So happy for everyone. I mean, Rylan is doing so brilliantly. Harry Styles, all the boys from One Direction are having wild success. So, I'm grateful that I could be a part of that in some small way.
How to Fail with Elizabeth Day is available wherever you get your podcasts.
