Zayn Malik 'More In Control' After Leaving 1D

Zayn Malik has said he feels "more in control" of his life after leaving One Direction but worries about letting the fans down.

The singer announced he was leaving the band on Wednesday, saying he wanted to be a "normal 22-year-old".

In an interview with The Sun, Malik said the decision, which has shocked the group's millions of fans, feels right.

"You know, I did try to do something that I wasn't happy doing for a while, for the sake of maybe other people's happiness," he told Dan Wootton .

"And that was mainly the fans, I only ever tried to do it for the fans, and it was only ever for them."

Malik has dismissed reports that there were conflicts between him and Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Liam Payne and Louis Tomlinson.

"They couldn't be more wrong, to be honest," he said.

He also revealed that his fiancee Perrie Edwards has been very supportive and said she was a "good girl".

One Direction have been together since 2010 when they were put together by Simon Cowell on The X Factor.

Malik revealed he is working on some solo material but said he thought his former bandmates would be together as a four-piece for the long haul.

"They still want to do it for a while, they'll carry on doing what they want to do."

This was echoed by Payne, who took to Twitter to reassure fans after Malik's departure, which he described as "the worst" time for the group.

Payne said he felt "deeply saddened" but promised there was more to come from the group.

He tweeted: "For the past five years now I've been part of something so special I don't think any of us really understand, something that can mean the world to people and put a smile on the face of our fans even in the darkest times.

"To a lot of people it's just a bunch of silly kids in a band, but to the people involved it means so much more. This last week has been some of the worst times, possibly the worst, it's something we are all deeply saddened by.

"It's sad to think for the time being we won't grace the stage as five bros or have the same fun on a tour bus or laughs in a hotel together that we have over the years but I'm super sure us and Zayn will always remain the closest friends.

"I guess what I'm really trying to say is it's far from over. When we very first became successful we all agreed that one direction had become much bigger than each individual member that's why I feel like right now it's OK to be sad and upset but I do ask everyone who is a fan of us to please keep your faith in us I'm sure there's a lot more to come."

Tomlinson and Horan also said fans' support over the split made them more determined to produce more chart-topping hits.