John Lennon once claimed that The Beatles were “more popular than Jesus”, but now Harry Styles has stated that his band, One Direction, are more famous than The Beatles.

During an interview with Top of the Pops magazine, 20-year-old Styles stressed that he believes that he and his One Direction band mates have achieved a higher level of fame than The Beatles, but admitted that their music is not comparable.

The ‘Midnight Memories’ singer explained:

“We all sat and watched the film of The Beatles arriving in America. And, to be honest, that really was like us. Stepping off the plane, the girls, the madness. It was exactly the same as when we got there - just 50 years earlier.”

He went on: “But none of us think we're in the same league as them music-wise. We'd be total fools if we did. Fame-wise, it's probably even bigger, but we don't stand anywhere near them in terms of music.”

Earlier this year, One Direction were named the world’s biggest band in terms of music sales and streams.

Watch new behind-the-scenes footage from the making of 'Midnight Memories' below: