Zayn Malik Quits One Direction Tour

One Direction are set to continue their tour without band member Zayn Malik, who has flown back home due to "stress". Photo: Getty Images

The 22-year-old singer pulled out of a commercial recording in Hong Kong yesterday and has flown back to the UK due to the stress of media speculation on his private life.

A spokesman for the band told The Sun newspaper, "Zayn has signed off with stress and is flying back to the UK to recuperate. The band wish him well and will continue with their performances in Manila and Jakarta."

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His departure comes just hours after the Steal My Girl singer was forced to assure fans he had not cheated on his fiancé Perrie Edwards of Little Mix, having been spotted getting close with another woman while on a night out in Phuket, Thailand.

Taking to his Twitter account on Thursday evening, he said, "I'm 22 years old... I love a girl named Perrie Edwards. And there's a lot of jealous fucks in this world I'm sorry for what it looks like x (sic)."

Zayn - who was to pay a $5,786 bond in order to enter the Philippines this weekend following his previous rumoured drug use - will now be absent from the band's next three performances in Asia, but is expected to rejoin Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan for their show in Cape Town, South Africa, on March 28.

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Source: Bang Showbiz edited by Yahoo7 staff