One Direction star Niall Horan believes Demi Lovato is a "beautiful" person.

The celebrity pair have been constantly linked in over the last few months and speculation seems to have reached a new level of intensity in the past week.

Quotes recently attributed to the two camps have been full of praise for each other, but there has been no official confirmation of any relationship.

Speaking to Seventeen, Horan said that Lovato's beauty shines through when you get to know her as a person. He said:

"The nice things about Demi is, once you know her, she's really, really beautiful. We became good friends. It's so crazy that she can be so honest about everything she's gone through. She has a fantastic attitude. If I  ever needed anything or needed to talk to anybody, I think Demi would be the person to talk to."

The Irishman added, however, that he doesn't really have much time to "think about girls". He said:

"When I was young I was shy around girls. But now I wouldn't be afraid to ask a girl out. I don't believe in games, it's childish. There hasn't been anyone great in a while. I don't really have time to think about girls. When I'm not working, I only want to go back to Ireland and chill with my friends. Friends and family come first - always."