Australian lingerie model and actress getting close to Niall Horan

Australian actress and lingerie model Olympia Valance has confirmed she and One Direction star Niall Horan are "getting close".

The sexy Neighbors star and Gossard brand ambassador has enjoyed a string of secret dates with the Irish pop star after meeting him while he was vacationing Down Under with his cousins.

The 24-year-old stunner tells The Sun she and Niall have been friends for "a couple of years", adding, "We just met in Australia and we’ve been messaging ever since and yeah we have hung out together a bit.

"We are quite close. I see him when I come to London and he sees me when he’s in Oz."

Olympia posted a photo of herself and Niall on her Instagram story last month (Sep17) as part of a birthday tribute to Niall, but she isn't ready to call him her boyfriend, insisting she's still single after splitting from Greg Cannell in February (17).

"I am single at the moment," she adds. "I’ve been single pretty much all this year and it’s been really nice. I’ve always had problems being on my own before and now I’m actually like, I really love this and just not having anyone to answer to."

Meanwhile, Olympia is a new aunt - her singer sister Holly recently became a mom again - the Kiss, Kiss singer and her property tycoon husband Nick Candy welcomed their second child, Nova Skye Coco, last month (Sep17).

The newborn is a little sister for the pair's three-year-old daughter Luka Violet Toni.

Valance, who also appeared on Australian soap series Neighbors, and Candy wed in 2012.