How's about this for an unlikely pairing? One Direction's scream-inducing Harry Styles has been writing new material with Snow Patrol's frontman Gary Lightbody.

In an interview with The Sun, Lightbody said: "We wrote with Harry. It was a lot of fun. He's a real dude actually. We've no idea if those songs will make it yet, though. It's a long process. It's great to work with other people - it's good to flex the muscle."

Styles recently released a solo track online and the news of a Lightbody collaboration with no doubt raise questions are to how long Styles intends to remain a member of the hugely successful boyband.

However, Directioners fears can be somewhat quenches if you believe the "source" that the tabloid quotes as saying that Styles won't be leaving the group. Not yet, anyway.

"One Direction always work solo with writers and are doing the same for the new album. It saves time, which is so precious for a band under their pressures. The tracks Harry worked on with Gary are 100 per cent for the new One Direction album - and not a solo album."