One Direction’s Liam Payne has been given the nickname ‘Gary’ after his band-mates said his behaviour reminds them of the Take That star.

The hugely successful boyband, who are currently number one in the US with their debut album, ‘Up All Night,’ told The Sun that the Wolverhampton 18-year-old has started to take on a leadership role in the manner of The X-Factor judge.

Niall said: "Liam has that Barlow aura. He says things like 'Come on boys, let's roll. Let's get going.' He knows it and can't deny it."

Harry Styles, whose ex-girlfriend, Caroline Flack, briefly discussed their relationship for the first time at the weekend, then joked: “He just needs the briefcase.”

It’s not the first time this week that Liam has been a source of amusement for the ‘One Thing’ stars, after Harry also mocked his pronunciation skills on Twitter, posting: “Liam has just said the word 'lingerie' for the first time....he said (linger-ee).”