Simon Cowell has offered his thoughts on One Direction and their relationship with their fans.

Some devotees of the group have been left feeling distanced recently after singers Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson featured in a leaked video which saw them smoke marijuana.

Speaking to Bang Showbiz about the clip and the fallout from the video, Cowell said that the band's work ethic - and the bond with their fans - has never been in question.

He said: "I've worked with a lot of artists, who actually do lose the plot, that do lose respect for their fans and forget about who took them there, but they've never done that. You know they really do love their fans. They really do love their fans. I can only talk about my own personal relationship with them and they have been a joy to work with."

Cowell, however, stressed that he has no comment on the "private matter" of whether he has had a word with the boyband about the video.

Watch One Direction's 'You & I' video below: