'There's a lot of pressure' Ringo Starr understands why Zayn Malik quit One Direction
BEING in one of the biggest bands in the world, Ringo Starr definitely knows a thing or two about the pressures of showbiz.
The attention surrounding One Direction is often compared to something that Ringo is definitely familiar with - Beatlemania.
So, when Zayn announced last week he was quitting, he sent the entertainment world into a frenzy.
Ringo doesn't seem too surprised the band member has left though, admitting it's much harder being in a boyband nowadays than it was when the Beatles were at their peak.
The 74-year-old told Good Morning Britain of Zayn's exit: "The pressure is so much heavier now."
Ringo GMB_1
"We had the pressure, now you can't go anywhere," he continued.
"Everyone has a camera. My only line about One Direction now that there's been a change, is maybe now they'll be going in the right direction."
Ringo, who is finally going to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this spring, insists he thinks the boys will carry on and do just as well without Zayn.
He said in a previous interview with ET: "We [The Beatles] were under a lot of pressure but compared to them, we were on holiday.
"And we could go on holiday and it was fine. And we always went together, that was mad too.
"We always shared a room in a hotel and we always went on holiday in at least twos. But I think the pressure now is because you cannot move."
One week on though, Directioners are still as heartbroken as ever over the 22-year-old's decision to leave the band.
"I am leaving because I want to be a normal 22-year-old who is able to relax and have some private time out of the spotlight. I know I have four friends for life in Louis, Liam, Harry and Niall. I know they will continue to be the best band in the world," Zayn said in a statement on the band's Facebook last Wednesday.
Breaking his silence on why he left, the Bradford-born singer has since told The Sun: "I’ve never felt more in control in my life.
"And I feel like I’m doing what’s right — right by myself and right by the boys, so I feel good."
