Zayn Malik has reportedly rejoined One Direction, more than ten years after abruptly quitting the group at the height of its global fame.
Malik famously walked away from the band in 2015 to pursue a solo career, a move that deepened fractures between him and fellow members Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan.
But fresh reports suggest those tensions have eased. Following Liam’s death last year, Malik is said to have been “in contact” with the remaining members, and his name has now resurfaced as a business director of their company, PPM Music Limited.
The singer, who is preparing to launch his first-ever Las Vegas residency in January, originally had his position at the company terminated on June 20, 2016.
Newly filed Companies House documents, however, show he has resumed an active role, appearing as a Business Director alongside Styles, Tomlinson and Horan.
Liam Payne died aged 31 in October last year after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina. All four of his former bandmates attended his funeral, marking their first appearance together in several years.
A source told The Sun: “While heartbreaking, Liam’s passing has brought them together, it’s even more sad he was the biggest cheerleader of a reunion.”
“Since Liam’s passing the boys have been in contact.”
PPM was the first business entity the group established after finding fame on The X Factor, named after Princess Park Manor, the gated development they moved into during the height of their early success.
Alan McEvoy of Live Wire Business Management is also listed as involved in the company. He previously worked with One Direction as well as other X Factor alumni including Olly Murs and JLS.
Talk of a potential reunion intensified last month, after reports claimed Malik and Tomlinson had signed a multi-million-pound deal to travel across the United States while discussing their lives and reflecting on their years in the band.
Insiders say the pair are expected to confront the loss of Liam, whose death has reportedly helped reopen lines of communication between the former bandmates.
It is widely believed that the tragedy in Buenos Aires last October brought the group closer than they had been in years.
An insider previously told The Sun: “This will be an absolutely huge show for Netflix and is guaranteed to whip 1D’s global army of fans into a frenzy.”
“Although the idea of British boyband members doing a show about travelling across America sounds random, most of them now have strong links Stateside.”
“And it’s likely to be a chance for some serious soul-searching and deep discussions about the incredible journey the group have already been on since they were formed on The X Factor 15 years ago.”
Malik has lived in the United States permanently since 2018, while Tomlinson divides much of his time between the UK and America due to his nine-year-old son with stylist Briana Jungwirth.
The two singers have become close again, with Malik publicly acknowledging Tomlinson earlier this year after he attended his Los Angeles show at the Shrine Exposition Hall.
Malik’s relationship with the group deteriorated sharply after his 2015 exit.
In later years, he said the band had grown “sick of each other” and admitted he had not kept in regular contact with the members since leaving.
One Direction became one of the world’s biggest pop acts after their 2010 debut on The X Factor, selling more than 70 million records globally.
Across their career, the group collected nearly 200 awards, including seven Brit Awards, four MTV Music Awards, six Billboard Music Awards, seven American Music Awards and 28 Kids’ Choice Awards.
