Zayn Malik has always felt inspired by Eminem

Zayn - who was born in Bradford in northern England - told BBC Radio 1: "I remember watching Eight Mile for the first time when I was growing up in Bradford and that movie inspired me.

"It felt like he was growing up in a similar environment to me. The things he overcame and did were incredibly inspiring.

"Eminem will always be one of the top rappers in my book."

Zayn auditioned as a solo contestant on the UK version of The X Factor back in 2010, and he'll always have fond memories of performing Mario's Let Me Love You during his first audition.

He said: "I listened to this a lot around the time when I was first starting to sing. Probably around 15 or 16, I started taking it more seriously.

"I practised that song for about a year before I went on X Factor and sang that as my first audition song.

"It has a near and dear place in my heart. It is the song that changed my life."

Meanwhile, Zayn previously admitted that he didn't feel "convinced" by One Direction's music.

The singer - who left the band back in March 2015 - told Dazed: "There was just a general conception that the management already had of what they want for the band, and I just wasn't convinced with what we were selling.

"I wasn't 100 per cent behind the music. It wasn't me. It was music that was already given to us, and we were told this is what is going to sell to these people. As much as we were the biggest, most famous boyband in the world, it felt weird. We were told to be happy about something that we weren't happy about."