'N Sync star reveals Harry Styles ready to quit 1D

'N Sync's Lance Bass and Harry Styles of One Direction. Photo / Getty Images

Harry Styles was ready to quit One Direction long before bandmate Zayn Malik walked, Former 'N Sync star Lance Bass has revealed.

Malik left the popular boy band last month to live a "normal life", leaving Styles, Niall Horan, Liam Payne and Louis Tomlinson to continue their world tour without him.

Bass, who is now the host of pop music countdown show Dirty Pop on SiriusXM, claims insiders have told him Styles was making plans to quit when Malik dropped his bombshell.

"I host my own talk show every day, and you get some inside scoops - Harry Styles has been ready to go solo for many months," Bass said in an interview on Meredith Vieira's US talk show.

"He's been recording solo and he was about to leave. The Zayn thing was just spur of the moment."

However, the Bye Bye Bye hitmaker thinks Malik's swift move was a good decision.

"I think it was the best move he could have ever done, because Harry Styles is a household name," he explained.

"Zayn Malik - didn't really know his name until he was the first who left the group. So kudos to him for being smart to leave.

"I think the guys are always going to be friends, they're brothers... (but) the fact they lasted this long is a surprise to me.

"Hopefully the other four can go on and do a little more music. I see Harry leaving soon and I don't see another One Direction album happening after that."

Bass is well aware of boy band drama - 'N Sync split in 2002, but ultimately decided to call it quits after Justin Timberlake's solo career skyrocketed.

- WENN