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Jackie ‘O’ Henderson relives an “uncomfortable” encounter with Zayn Malik back in his One Direction days

''The difference between Harry Styles and Zayn Malik couldn't have been further apart.''
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Jackie ‘O’ Henderson has met some of the world’s biggest stars during her time as a top tier radio host. And now, the KIIS presenter has recalled a particularly “uncomfortable” meeting with singer Zayn Malik.

Zayn, who shares one-year-old daughter Khai with Gigi Hadid, has been in the headlines in recent weeks over claims of a dispute with the model’s mother Yolanda Hadid.

On her breakfast radio show this week, Jackie relived an interview with Zayn and his then-band member Harry Styles that took place during the height of their One Direction fame several years ago.

Jackie claimed the demeanor of Harry Styles and Zayn Malik “couldn’t have been further apart”.

(Image: Ten)

“The difference between Harry Styles and Zayn Malik couldn’t have been further apart that night,” she said.

Before interviewing the band in Sydney, Jackie ducked out to have a cigarette, while Zayn was already outside smoking.

Jackie said excited fans lined the streets in the hopes of meeting their idol.

“They were all screaming his name and “We love you, Zayn! We love you, Zayn!” [but] he was just smoking and staring straight at them with this really p—ed-off look on his face, and he didn’t smile once,” Jackie claimed.

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“I was standing there the whole time thinking, “Aren’t you going to just, like, at least wave? This is uncomfortable that you’re just staring at them like that’.”

Jackie’s co-host Kyle Sandilands then claimed Zayn had a “dark vibe” about him.

“This was early One Direction days – I thought, “Oh, he’s obviously got… I think he’s depressed or something. Something’s going on there,”‘ she said.

“No one would respond like that unless you really did feel like that.

Jackie’s story comes two weeks after Zayn denied claims that he “struck” Yolanda Hadid.

(Image: Getty)

“And you feel for someone like that because if he genuinely has a mental health issue – which I don’t know much about – that’s probably why he left [One Direction] and went out on his own. He couldn’t deal with it.”

Jackie’s story comes two weeks after Zayn denied claims that he “struck” Yolanda Hadid.

The singer released a rare statement on Twitter after being alerted to a TMZ story that was going to drop, which reported that he and Yolanda had been in a physical altercation.

Jackie’s co-host Kyle Sandilands claimed Zayn had a “dark vibe” about him.

(Image: Instagram)

On October 28, TMZ sources reportedly said that Yolanda “says Zayn struck her at some point last week and she’s seriously considering filing a police report”.

In his tweet, Zayn did not directly respond to the claims he had “struck” Yolanda, but later added to his comments in a return statement to TMZ.

“As you all know I am a private person and I very much want to create a safe and private space my daughter to grow up in,” Zayn wrote. “A place where private family matters aren’t thrown on the world stage for all to poke and pick apart.

“In an effort to protect that space for her I agreed to not contest claims arising from an argument I had with a family member of my partner’s who entered our home while my partner was away several weeks ago.”

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