One Direction star Zayn Malik has opened up on his short-lived relationship with Rebecca Ferguson.

The 19-year-old singer dated the soul singer after they both appeared on the X Factor in 2010, but their romance only lasted mere months.

Malik told Now magazine that he cuddled up with Ferguson because it felt "nice" to have comfort during a turbulent time.

He said: "We're not in touch at all. It was just a weird situation and a weird time I was going through being away from home on The X Factor tour. To get that comfort and friendship from someone was nice."

The "One Thing" star, however, added: "But I think it was a wrong decision to make at such a young age. Then it did end quite badly so we don't talk anymore."

Watch One Direction's latest video for "Live While We're Young" below: