Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson Tensions Flare on One Direction Ellen and GMA Appearances

Just Jared reports that Harry Styles had “a hard time” answering Ellen Degeneres’ questions when One Direction appeared on Ellen. In one segment, the talk-show host asked Louis Tomlinson and the One Direction boys about Zayn Malik, who sensationally left One Direction earlier this year. R&B-loving hunk Zayn subsequently admitted that he felt creatively stifled during his entire term as part of Simon Cowell’s carefully-managed One Direction machine, as reported by The Guardian.

Ellen was not afraid to go there, asking the boys about the breakup. Louis Tomlinson — who bickered publicly with his rogue ex-bandmate Zayn on Twitter following Malik’s departure — answered reluctantly, saying, “We kind of had a feeling [he was unhappy]… yeah, I don’t really know.” Harry Styles can then be heard sniggering.

“You can cut the tension with a knife!” the curly haired 1D member chortled when asked why he was amused.

“Let’s make some jokes!” Harry added with a a touch of mockery in his elfin grin. Did the One Direction star feel it was absurd to get heavy on the lighter-than-air Ellen show, with its variety format, family audience, scare-the-guest tradition (watch Ellen scaring Justin Bieber here) and celebrity parlor games?

The interview indeed took a lighter turn after that, with the One Direction guys and Ellen playing a game of “Never Have I Ever.” We learn, among other things, that mischievous Irishman Niall Horan once used Harry Styles’ toothbrush. It seems pastel-hair-loving One Direction stylist Lou Teasdale once carried a bag full of toothbrushes that the boys dipped into at will, resulting in inevitable toothbrush ownership overlap.

“Oh!” exclaimed Harry Styles as the memories of Lou’s brush-stash flooded back, and the crooner abruptly turned his sign over to read “I Have.”

Harry Styles also sensationally revealed that he has dated a One Direction fan before (unlike Liam Payne, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson, who have not), raising the question of whether there is any truth to the famous Harry Styles cupcake-shop seduction legend, first revealed on Reddit and reported by Closer. Harry Styles is not the only misbehaving One Direction member — it was also revealed that he is the only one of the boys who has never sent a racy text message to the wrong person, and he and Liam Payne are alone in regretting one of their tattoos (Payne revealed that he regrets the track tattoo on his arm; Ellen chose not to air Harry’s explanation of which tattoo he regrets – was it perhaps scandalous or x-rated?). Harry also claimed — along with Liam, Louis and Niall — that he has never had a song written about him, prompting Ellen to declare “We’re not going to play if you’re going to lie!” (obviously a reference to Harry Styles’ ex Taylor Swift and her song “Style”).

The One Direction appearance on GMA also delivered some laughs and great insights, with Louis Tomlinson discussing his song “Love You Goodbye,” and the rest of the boys piping up that it was so “personal” they left the song as it was when Louis finished and didn’t add any of their own touches. Thus, we can confirm that every line in the intriguing break-up sex ballad is Louis Tomlinson’s and his alone.

Tension between Harry and Louis — who apparently fell out spectacularly when they lived together for a time, as reported by The Sun in the grimly titled “Downfall of One Direction” piece — flared again briefly, though not seriously, in a GMA segment with One Direction about Christmas shopping, as reported by Unreality TV. Harry revealed a fastidious, organised side, saying he has already finished his shopping, in fact doing it in early November.

“You went and did shopping by yourself?” sneers Louis, with a gentle mockery that is obvious enough that Niall Horan turns around and jeers along with Louis, expressing his appreciation for the Doncaster hunk’s audacity with an open-mouthed laugh.

It’s not clear what prompted the sneers. Is Harry’s fastidious side a source of general amusement backstage? Is the thought of fashion-loving Harry scouring stores and checking Gucci shirt price tags by himself a source of amusement for the more laid-back Louis, who favors a sportier style (Tomlinson appears to be one of the many celebrities who has been recruited by Adidas to promote the sport brand and spearhead its resurgence, and can often be seen wearing the brand at airports and during bar-hops)? Is Louis calling Harry out for claiming that he buys gifts himself, when the reality is that the tight-knit One Direction team includes a personal shopper who buys gifts on behalf of the boys and sends them after the guys add a limp personal touch or two (maybe a signature on a card)?

Whatever the case, flare-ups between Louis and Harry seem surmountable enough, recalling the animosity of university roommates who have seen a little too much of each other. According to Psychology Today,“living together puts a strain even on reasonable people.”

“As a psychiatrist, I have heard innumerable sad stories of roommates at odds with each other… Roommates are in a singularly good position to drive each other crazy if that is their intent.”

Hopefully the hotties, who teamed up to write One Direction fan favorite “Perfect” together, will resolve any differences and the 2017 One Direction regroup will proceed as planned.

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[Photo by Gustavo Caballero/ Getty Images]