Singer Louis Tomlinson of boyband One Direction has opened up about the tension they share with The Wanted and admitted that "it's quite frustrating".

Speaking exclusively to Now magazine, the heartthrob explained that he first heard that the lads had badmouthed them shortly after they met on The X Factor:

"I remember when I'd just done my first audition on The X Factor and I heard 'All Time Low' for the first time. I thought it was a great song by a great band. We met them on the show and they were nice. It changed all of a sudden."

"There was one press story where they were bad-mouthing us. I thought maybe that had been twisted. But then there ended up being about ten stories and they've been caught on camera doing little things."

Tomlinson added that it's important to stand up for yourself, especially in such a competitive industry, so tries not to take harsh comments to heart although he'll always defend himself and his group:

"I just think, 'If you want to create that rivalry, then let's do it.' We're not bothered about the friction or the rivalry. But I'm not going to shy away from it because that isn't the person I am. I don't think it's fair to me or any of the lads."

Watch their music video for 'Little Things' below: