It wasn’t all plane sailing (sorry) for the One Direction star when he first flew to America aged 17.

In an interview with the Evening Standard, Malik revealed that he experienced some turbulence at immigration in the UK before he left-

“The first time I came to America I had three security checks before I got on the plane; first they said that I’d been randomly selected, and then they said it was something to do with my name, it was flagging something on their system.”

Things didn’t improve for the singer, whose solo career has taken off since, when he arrived at his destination.

"Then when I landed, it was like a movie. They kept me there for three hours, questioning me about all kinds of crazy stuff. I was 17, my first time in America, jet-lagged off the plane, confused. The same thing happened the next time too."

The strict safety protocols didn’t get him in a spin, however, and Malik said he understood ‘why they’ve got to do it.’

Having landed a cameo role in comedy heist Ocean’s Eight, due for release in 2018, it would appear the young Brit’s career is on the up and up.

Via Evening Standard