Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson cut ties with Simon Cowell after his 1D remarks

Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan have reportedly unfollowed Simon Cowell on Instagram after the music mogul’s bitter remarks about the former boyband One Direction.

According to The Sun, Tomlinson and Horan distanced themselves from their former mentor just days after Cowell’s bombshell interview aired, reportedly unfollowing him on Instagram.

In a candid conversation on Steven Bartlett's podcast, Diary Of A CEO, The 64-year-old television personality – who formed the iconic boy band during The X Factor in 2010 – recently shared his biggest regret: allowing the band to own the One Direction name. This decision, he reflected, has prevented him from continuing the band's legacy after their breakup.

Cowell admitted, "The one thing I regret is I should have owned the name. They own the name. I could have made an animation or something. So if you're listening One Direction then I will buy it back from you!"

During the podcast, Cowell also noted that any new content related to One Direction, such as movies or TV shows, would require the consent of all the band members. While he couldn't recall the exact ownership arrangement, he highlighted that this shared control has limited potential new projects involving the band’s name.

After signing the band to his label Syco Music, Cowell watched them rise to become one of the best-selling boy bands of all time. However, the group faced turbulence in 2015 when Zayn Malik left to pursue a solo career, leading to the band’s eventual split in 2016.