Niall Horan joins new band on One Direction hiatus

Niall Horan has stunned One Direction fans by joining a new boy band, One Lad and 2 Dads.

The 22-year-old singer will be joining a host of famous faces as he takes to the pitch for Soccer Aid this Sunday (05Jun16). Among his fellow competitors are comedians John Bishop and Paddy McGuinness, with the former sharing a picture of the trio posed up in their kits on his Twitter page, writing: "New boy band - me @NiallOfficial and @PaddyMcGuinness - we are called One Lad and 2 Dads."

Fans were quick to realise the joke, with many commenting with laughing emojis.

While this was just a quip by John, Niall's venturing out is likely to become reality in the near future as he works on solo projects after One Direction went on hiatus earlier this year (16).

It was recently reported that Niall is going to be the first member of the four-piece to release his solo material, with Simon Cowell's label Syco and One Direction's management Modest.

"Niall is the band’s secret weapon," a source told Britain's The Sun newspaper. "Modest and Syco believe he has what it takes to become a break out solo star...

“He has the songwriting and music talent, good looks and cheeky Irish personality which made him a favourite in the States. A deal with Syco is going to be signed in the coming weeks and Niall is already back in the studio writing... There’s a hit single there too, which will probably be released early next year.”

Niall, who is also being kept busy with his golf management agency, and his bandmates are taking full advantage of their time off from the mega boyband. Harry Styles has landed his first acting role in war movie Dunkirk, Liam Payne is writing music and Louis Tomlinson is working on his record label and looking after son Freddie.

Louis has reportedly signed to agency James Grant to pursue a career in TV following guest judging stints on Britain's The X Factor and America's Got Talent.

“Louis is very interested in the world of TV," the source added. “He is considering opportunities both in front of the camera, including documentaries, and behind-the-scenes as a producer."