Harry Styles reveals how his 'outgoing' ex helped him overcome an unexpected fear

Harry Styles confessed his past fear of going out in public alone, but his "very outgoing" ex-girlfriend helped him overcome this.

​The One Direction alum admitted that during his boyband fame days, he used to feel unsafe to stroll in the neighbourhood of his adopted hometown of London.

​Harry revealed a former partner came in to rescue him from the situation, and now he freely goes out without bodyguards.

​In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, the interviewer recalled bumping into the singer on the street in Rome, noting that he was "impressed" seeing Harry "just walking down the street."

The interviewer remarked, "I was like: 'Where's his security?' Because I mean, I know I can do it, but I didn't know you could do it. Is that a choice?"

​Harry then explained, "I think in the early days, when I was in the band [One Direction], so much of the hotel experience felt very locked-in.

​"When I'd be home, it felt like: 'Oh, it's not safe for me to be out.' Then I had a girlfriend who was very outgoing, and she was coming to London and I was like: 'Oh, if we just sit in my house for three days, she's gonna think I'm nuts'."

​The American Girls hitmaker continued, "So we walked everywhere, and it was this realization for me: 'Oh, it's fine to be outside.' It kind of broke that thing.

​"Now, it's changed my life in such a big way, because it's how you stay connected to the world."

​Harry added, "I read something about walking being the artist's kind of perspective, because you're at ground level and you see things that you just don't see if you're driving everywhere."

​The As It Was singer, who famously dated stars like Taylor Swift and Kendall Jenner, is currently dating actress Zoe Kravitz.