Louis Tomlinson has admitted he found One Direction’s name “corny”.
The new X Factor judge makes the comment in the opening episode on the new series this Saturday night.
The very first audition of the series sees 1D member Louis meet a potential rival boy band.
Ollie, Jake, Jordan and Ben make up the group called No Labels, who sing Justin Timberlake’s Suit and Tie.
Explaining their name, the boys say: “We’re all so different, so we didn’t want to get put in just one single genre.”
Louis replies: “The thing is with a name… I don’t think any of us were ever a massive fan of One Direction.. If you think about the name, it’s a pretty corny name.”
According to Louis’ bandmate Harry Styles, it was him who came up with the name.
Harry said last year: “I think it was me [who came up with the name]. I know they’re not here to defend anything else, but it was me.”
He added: “I thought it sounded good. We threw around names for a little bit, and I honestly don’t know. I suggested it and everyone was like ‘Yeah we like that’ and then it kind of stuck, and that was what it was.”
The X Factor, Thames/Syco for ITV, returns at 8pm Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd September.
In the series, Louis marks the eighth anniversary of One Direction during the auditions.
He says: “All our lives changed completely that day, that’s the magic of this show. It’s always been the power of this show that one audition can totally change your life.”
