One Direction: Where We Are: Our Band, Our Story. One Direction

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      We were both nervous and excited about making the 1D movie. There’s so much that we do that people don’t see, so it’s nice to let fans get an insight into who we really are. We put everything out there – nothing was hidden.

      We do mess around a lot, so it was great fun making it, and you definitely get to see the ridiculous side of us. Well, the even more ridiculous side.

      It was a really natural process and nothing was set up – a lot of the time we forgot the cameras were there. It wasn’t like we decided to go water-skiing or anything just to make the film more interesting. If the cameras missed something, the producers didn’t ask us to set it up again so they could film it, because that wouldn’t have worked. We were just us.

      While we’ve been on the road we’ve also been working on the third album, and it’s been really exciting because we’re writing a lot more. We’re experimenting more with this album, which has been great. We want to make the third album our best yet.

      We by no means feel like we’re at the top of our game. We always want to push further and be the best we can be. There’s still so much more we can do. I’m excited to see what happens. I want to carry on working hard, playing hard and being kind!

      Our lives have changed so much since we all auditioned for The X Factor. I guess the biggest change is how busy we are. I can’t believe I’m in a job where we work such silly hours, especially when I look back at how lazy I used to be!

      We do work mad hours sometimes, but we just get on with it and don’t think about it, because we’re so grateful to be in this position. It’s so rewarding and we really enjoy our work. I do get tired from time to time, and sometimes when I wake up in the morning I can think of nothing nicer than staying in bed all day… But once I’m showered and dressed and with the boys I’m raring to go.

      I’m totally used to having jet lag now, and sometimes I even quite enjoy it. If my body clock is a bit off and I wake up in the night, I love the feeling of looking at my watch and knowing that I’ve got loads more time left to sleep.

      Having four other crazy lads around is the best way to stay upbeat when you’re tired. We don’t take anything too seriously and we don’t let anything go to our heads. I never think, ‘Look at us, we’re on another TV show,’ I just think, ‘This is brilliant fun, I’m having such a laugh with my mates.’

      It’s so hard to sit down and try to choose my favourite 1D moments to date, because there have been a ridiculous number of them. If I had to pinpoint some I would say the EMAs, playing at Madison Square Garden and being on the tour bus with the other lads, any time at all, really.

      Being onstage at Madison Square Garden was amazing. We got to have a B-stage and pop up out of the floor and all sorts of stuff. It was so much fun and it’s such a prestigious place, so looking out and knowing that everyone was there for us was quite something.

      I also love it when we get a couple of weeks off, because it gives us a chance to sit back, look at the craziness of everything that’s happened and really reflect on it.

      It’s very strange to look back to the early days and see how far we’ve come.

      Liam and the Barlow!, 22 August 2012

      I still find it incredible when I think about all of the places we’ve been able to visit so far. Australia is one of my favourite places in the world. I loved it and I loved learning to surf with Louis. We also went out on a boat and sailed all around Sydney Harbour and saw the Opera House.

      Japan is great too, and I’ve got top memories of San Diego because I caught a tiger shark by accident! We’d been fishing all day and I’d only caught really small fish, so I decided I was a bit rubbish at it. Then I left my rod in for ages and suddenly I saw a tug… When I pulled my line in there was a three-foot baby tiger shark hanging off of it! It was only the second time I’d been fishing and by the end I felt like a pro.

      I love trying new things in the different places we visit. Louis has always been very outgoing, but I wasn’t like that at all. Now he convinces me to experiment and it’s made me more confident. It’s brilliant, because it means that I get to learn more about the cultures of the places we go to.

      Bungee jumping was invented in New Zealand, so when we were there we really wanted to do it, but we couldn’t for insurance reasons. We found something else called a Sky Fall that was considered safer, so we gave that a go instead. It was still scary, though, and not great for anyone who doesn’t like heights as you literally fly through the air. I like stepping outside of my comfort zone and trying new foods and activities. It’s a whole new world.

      Going to Africa for Comic Relief was absolutely one of the best things I’ve ever done. It was a life-changing trip. There hasn’t been one day since we’ve been that I haven’t thought about it; it’s often the last thing I think about before I go to sleep at night.