Simon Cowell says he would never ban One Direction from 'The X Factor'.
Simon Cowell
After it was reported that the music mogul had stopped Niall Horan from performing his debut solo single on the show that made him famous, Simon took to Twitter to insist he would welcome any of the group back to the programme.
He wrote: "To be clear I would never 'ban' anyone from One Direction appearing on the show."
However, Simon has made it obvious that he is furious with Niall for snubbing his Syco record label to sign a solo deal with Capitol US.
Speaking about Niall's solo single, 'This Town', which reached number nine in the UK charts, Simon previously said: "He probably would have had a number one single if he'd stayed with me.
"But you know who does have a number one this week? James Arthur. Very pleased he's back with us with a fantastic record. Hashtag loyalty."
Niall signed his huge record deal with Capitol US, a division of the Universal Music Group, just weeks after Simon predicted that the "loyal" star would join Syco as a solo singer.
A source previously said: "Simon has made no secret of his expectations for Niall to stay loyal to him and has been desperately trying to keep him as a solo act with plans to turn him into a Justin Bieber style artist.
"They've worked together closely since day one and have always had a strong relationship, but Universal offered a lot of money.
"Simon's likely to be so frustrated Niall has gone to a rival."
Tagged in Simon Cowell Niall Horan Liam Payne