One Direction’s Formation Story Revealed in Never-Before-Seen “The X-Factor” UK Video

Directioners got their chance to brush up on a bit of One Direction history. Saturday, July 23, marked the 12th anniversary of the iconic boy band, and to mark the occasion, The X Factor UK shared some previously unseen footage of the group’s formation. 

The clip chronicled the remarkable moment that the members of One Direction were decided on by judges. And, as viewers pointed out, Nicole Scherzinger played a seriously major role in creating the group. 

Skip ahead to the one minute mark and you’ll see the moment for yourself. In the clip, Simon Cowell, Louis Walsh, and Nicole are debating who would be in the group. At one point, Nicole takes Niall Horan‘s picture and places it at the top of the table. She points prominently to Niall, affirming that the judges liked him.

Photos of Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson are then placed atop Niall’s image. “They’re the cutest boy band ever,” Nicole gushes, while looking at the trio. She adds, “They’re like little stars, so you can’t get rid of little stars. You put them all together.”

The judges then add Liam Payne to the pile. Simon calls him a “standout” but wonders if he belongs with Louis, Harry, and Niall. Nicole disagrees, saying, “If he’s the standout, then he could be the leader, one of the leaders.”

Moving to Zayne, Simon suggests that adding him to the group would be a “good idea.” Nicole agrees, saying, “Look at that look.” She goes on to say, “That could be really good.” And as it turns out, Nicole was definitely right. And the rest was One Direction history!

A lot has certainly changed since the members of 1D first made their debut, but it’s clear their music remains as impactful as ever. “It is incredible the vision that Nicole had when making this band, without knowing they were going to mark an entire generation around the world,” one YouTube commentator wrote.