One Direction will be back after planned hiatus

One Direction members Liam Payne, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Harry Styles say they will be back after a planned year long hiatus. Photo / Getty

One Direction love making music and "fully intend" to reform after a year-long hiatus.

The four-piece boy band, who have sold more than 50 million records worldwide will be ending their On The Road Again Tour at the Sheffield Arena in northern England.

The group are set to separate for at least 12 months, leaving their enormous global teenage following devastated.

"We fully intend to come back," member Louis Tomlinson told ITV television.

"We absolutely love this. We had a little sit down before and we decided that we wanted a break.

"We've had a very intense couple of years so we're just going to have a little bit of breathing time and spend that with our families.

"I don't think anyone could keep this pace up forever so I think it's the most healthy and constructive thing for all of us."

The band, comprising Tomlinson, 23, Niall Horan, 22, Liam Payne, 22, and Harry Styles, 21, were formed by Simon Cowell on X Factor in 2010.

A fifth member, Zayn Malik, 22, quit due to stress in March this year.

He has since signed a new recording deal as a solo artist.

"I am leaving because I want to be a normal 22-year-old who is able to relax and have some private time out of the spotlight," Malik said at the time.

Horan admitted the last gig of the tour would be difficult and taking a break from their busy schedule would feel slightly odd for the foursome.

"We've done 1,000 shows or more over the last few years so to think we won't do one for over a year will be strange, so it will be a little bit emotional," he said.

The group's fifth studio album, Made In The AM will be released on November 13 and they are due to make a promotional appearance on US television four days later.

The Sunday Times newspaper's Rich List 2015 revealed the band members were worth NZD $56 million each.

- AFP