Zayn Malik opens up about how his mum helped him overcome his eating disorder

Zayn Malik has spoken publicly about having a "serious" eating disorder while he was in One Direction, and now he's sharing how his mum helped him overcome it.

"It was something I was dealing with in the band," he told The Sunday Times Style magazine. He clarified that the experience wasn't "specifically an eating disorder", but called it a "control thing."

Zayn has appeared to find happiness with girlfriend Gigi Hadid. He gushed over the 21-year-old model during his interview and even revealed the special nicknames they have for each other.

"I call her Gee, she calls me Zee," he said. "There's some other nicknames too, but I'll keep those private."