One Direction 12 Year Anniversary Niall Horan Harry Styles Louis Tomlinson Zayn Malik Liam Payne Nicole Scherzinger

Nicole Scherzinger Is The Real Reason One Direction Exists And We Have Proof

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Nicole Scherzinger, aka the Pussycat Dolls frontwoman, has repeatedly proven she’s more than a one-trick pony. She can sing, dance and act, but now it’s been revealed that she was also the mastermind behind the creation of one of the world’s most influential boybands to come out of The X Factor: One Direction.

But let’s backtrack for a second, if you don’t remember who or what One Direction are, they’re a boyband from the UK that consisted of Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Liam Payne, and Zayn Malik. They had major hits throughout the 2010s, including ‘One Thing’, ‘Midnight Memories’, and ‘Night Changes’.

In 2015, Zayn Malik left the boyband to pursue a solo career. Soon after, the boys officially announced the band will be going on hiatus.

This week, the band celebrates 12 years since formation and the directioners have risen from their stan accounts to celebrate the impact of One Direction on pop culture.

To join in on the celebrations, The X Factor UK gave directioners a little treat with some unseen footage of how One Direction came to be. The clip revealed how judges Nicole Scherzinger, Simon Cowell and Louis Walsh placed the boys together via photos.

Here are the major takeaways from The X Factor’s unseen footage on One Direction’s conception:

Fans spoke about how the first member invited was Niall Horan.

One Direction 12 Year Anniversary Niall Horan Harry Styles Louis Tomlinson Zayn Malik Liam Payne Nicole Scherzinger

Fans also poked fun at Liam Payne and how he was chosen in fourth place after he claimed that the band was “formed around him” during a controversial podcast appearance.

But one of the most important observations was the realisation that The X-Factor judge, Nicole Scherzinger, was the main reason why One Direction was formed — and the reactions are hilarious!

So I guess it’s time we give Nicole the credit she deserves for building one of the biggest boybands in history.