One Direction: Zayn Malik extends olive branch to Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Liam Payne

A One Direction star has said he is open to a reunion with his estranged bandmates.

Zayn Malik left the chart-topping band suddenly in March 2015, saying he was suffering from stress. The remaining bandmates - Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan - carried on form a few months more, but said in August that year that 2016 would see the group put on ice.

One Direction sold 70m records and Midnight Memories, their third album, was 2013’s best-selling album worldwide. They were signed to Simon Cowell’s record label and came third in The X Factor in 2010.

Malik’s departure created a rift, and in the intervening years he has repeatedly mentioned in interviews that he didn’t like the rest of the band much and had no real relationship with them

But the Daily Mail has today reported that a reunion could be on the cards.

“He doesn't know if it will ever happen, or when, but he would love to start a conversation with the other guys from One Direction and try to make amends with all of them,” an insider told DailyMail.com. 'He is trying to figure out the best way to reach out because it will be odd, weird, and uncomfortable, but it is something that has been on his mind.”

The insider said Malik, who has a daughter with supermodel Gigi Hadid, was for now more interested in rebuilding a social relationship than a professional performing one - but would be open to more things in the future.

“Whether that leads them to working together again musically is one thing, but Zayn's reasoning is to become friends with his mates that he did so much with. Zayn wants to approach them for forgiveness and friendship. Working with them is not important to him right now. He has matured and wants to show the rest of the guys this. To be friends again would be amazing.”

Malik’s fourth solo album, Room Under the Stairs, comes out on May 17.