Nicole Scherzinger has joked she's "still expecting flowers" from One Direction after she suggested putting them together to form a boyband.

The stunning songstress appeared on The X Factor UK's judging panel when all five boys auditioned separately on the show.

Seeing a spark in Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Liam Payne, Scherzinger suggested that the show consider the wannabe singers as a five-piece group - with the band now enjoying phenomenal success across the globe.

She told Fabulous magazine: "I just thought: 'Wow, these boys!' None of them were strong enough to make through, but they'd make a killer group. All the girls are going to want to see these guys in a band together. And look at what they've done. I'm just really sad that I didn't have a piece of it. Simon Cowell forgets that - or he's trying to forget that. I think they said the footage of me suggesting it mysteriously disappeared.

She jokingly added: "I still haven't received flowers from them yet!"

One Direction were born on the 2010 series of the hit TV talent show.