One Direction star Niall Horan has been rejected by pop star Katy Perry.

The boyband heatthrob apparently told pals that he has had a crush on the Firework singer for quite some time.

A source told a Sunday newspaper that Horan was upset to discover that she thinks of him "as an little brother".

Horan told pals that their first meeting did not go to his plan.

He explained: "She pulled my cheeks and told me how cute I was."

An insider told the Daily Star Sunday: "From the moment she put him through on X Factor he remembers her telling him not to let her down and he was determined to prove himself to her.

"He thought that now, because he had achieved all this success, she would look at him differently - but it didn't work."

The source explained that Horan was left heartbroken to discover that his love was unrequited.

They added: "He's gutted she doesn't feel the same about him but it was definitely worth a go."

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