Both of them are successful alumni of the reality show The X Factor, so its’ no wonder that there may be similarities between One Direction and Little Mix. And with the recent news of Jesy Nelson’s departure from Little Mix, former One Direction member Liam Payne couldn’t help but comment on yet another similarity between the two groups.

E! Online reports that Payne was conducting a TikTok Live when he addressed the similarity between Jesy Nelson leaving Little Mix and Zayn Malik. After a fan remarked that Nelson had “Zayn’d out” of her group, Payne addressed the comment head-on.

After asking fans to take the matter of Nelson leaving seriously, Payne emphasized that any member leaving would be a sad moment for any band. He then remarked that he felt Malik had left One Direction for the same reason Nelson left Little Mix.

As reported a couple of days ago, Nelson left Little Mix after revealing that being in the band took a toll on her mental health. In her statement released on her Instagram account, Nelson said the decision to leave was made with “a heavy heart.”

Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Perrie Edwards, and Jade Thirlwall, the remaining members of the band, also released a statement that expressed no ill feelings between Nelson and the three of them and that they only wished the best for their former bandmate.

Pinnock, Edwards, and Thirlwall also assured fans that Nelson leaving did not mean the end of the band. The three said that they were still enjoying their journey as Little Mix and would continue with their careers as a trio.

It’s a different atmosphere from when Malik left One Direction. It is believed that Malik and the four other One Direction members still do not get along. Malik not following the four members on Twitter despite them following him is often seen as a sign of this.

Billboard adds that Payne then wished the best for Nelson and the remaining three members of Little Mix. He said that the trio is now going through a tough time with a lot of eyes looking at them.

The publication also pointed out that aside from both being The X Factor alums, Little Mix and One Direction share another personal connection. Malik had dated Perrie Edwards when he was still part of One Direction and was actually engaged to her when he left the group.

Little Mix’s 2016 single, Shout Out to My Ex, is also widely believed to be a dig at Malik. One line in particular, which wishes that the new girlfriend of the ex mentioned in the song was getting better s*x, was believed to be Edwards describing her s*x life with Malik.