Bad news, Directioners – in what looked like it might have been the promotional stunt of the year, it appears that Zayn Malik is NOT on the verge of returning to One Direction.

Over the last week or so, rumours had been escalating that that 22 year old Malik, who quit the group citing exhaustion during their tour of the Far East back in March, was set to make a sensational U-turn and rejoin the boyband.

One Direction1D will be remaining as a foursome, despite some rumours that Zayn Malik would be returning

Internet geeks and conspiracy theorists had been compiling shards of evidence they believed pointed to an imminent reunion, culminating in a Twitter hashtag #ZaynIsComingBack that was trending across the country. However, a source close to both Zayn and the band has told GossipCop that “he is not returning to 1D”.

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So, how did this rumour get started? Well, it was recently reported on BuzzFeed that Directioners were making a great fuss on social media after some had noticed that the group’s official Facebook page had reportedly deleted the March 25th post that had announced Zayn’s departure.

Then, the official 1D website had apparently re-uploaded his profile page. Naughty Boy, a pop producer and Zayn’s close friend, then sent some cryptic tweets into which some probably read a bit too much. He had written "made enough to go legit but you just can't quit". And, finally, Simon Cowell teased some big news earlier in June, the clincher for many.

Simon Cowell, who signed the group to his Syco label after they finished third in ‘The X Factor’ in 2010, tweeted on June 5th: “Lots to tell you over the next few days. Just wanted to say hello. Depending on where you are good night or good morning.” Well, that was nearly a fortnight ago.

So, it appears that some 1D are wishing so hard for something that they’ll see it in anything. 1D wouldn’t play around with the loyalties of their legions of fans. Would they?

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