Zayn Malik Abandons One Direction Tour

One Direction may soon find itself renamed 0.8 Direction if rumours of Zayn Malik’s departure are true.

Zayn – aka, the “bad boy” of the adorable all-dude troupe – has exited 1D’s world tour, citing “stress.”

According to the band’s publicist, Zayn will “[fly] back to the UK to recuperate,” while the band “continue with their performances in Manila and Jakarta.”

What’s unknown is if he’ll indeed join them afterwards. Perhaps he just realised sooner than the others that we’re all just waiting for the inevitable Harry solo career that’ll render them merely a footnote in the story of Style's life.

Zayn’s exit follows recent rumblings that Malik had been stepping out on his fiancée, Little Mix’s Perrie Edwards, when photos emerged of him – and try to restrain yourselves here – holding hands with someone else.

Feel free to share your howls of despair below.