Louis Tomlinson's first solo album Walls debuted on January 31, but the former One Direction member's press tour to promote his new music has taken a new focus. The spotlight is now on his high-profile falling out with Zayn Malik and the future of One Direction.
Tomlinson has been quick to express his frustration over this issue, and when BBC's Breakfast show asked him to talk about his grief over the tragic passing of his mother and sister instead of inquiring about Walls, CNN reports him as saying he's had enough and won't ever return to the show.
A One Direction Reunion Will "Happen At Some Point"
When Tomlinson appeared on The One Show to promote Walls, hosts Alex Jones and Matt Baker seemed far more interested in finding out whether or not a One Direction reunion might happen at some point during this year—one decade after the group was put together on The X-Factor.
Tomlison shut down the idea, pointing out that since the band's break-up, things have changed for all members, and time has seemed to pass quickly.
“We’ve been on a break four years, I’m only just getting round to releasing my first album," he said. "Fans who follow our every move everyday probably feel we’ve not been a group for a while, but to us we’re… I know I am just finding my feet really."
While a 2020 reunion may not happen, Tomlinson does think that One Direction is fated to reunite at some point and that fans shouldn't lose hope.
“I think it’ll happen at some point, we’d be stupid not to. I think we’re kind of exploring and enjoying ourselves individually.”
Louis Tried And Failed To Talk About His Debut Solo Album
Tomlinson's interview with the BBC Breakfast show similarly stayed away from discussion of Walls, much to the singer's frustration. Instead, journalists Dan Walker and Louise Minchin asked him to talk about his falling out with One Direction member Zayn Malik and touched on the death of his mother and sister.
Tomlinson's mother Joannah died of leukemia in December 2016, and he lost his 18-year-old sister Félicité to an accidental drug overdose in March 2019. The singer hinted that he'd prefer a change of topic by telling the hosts, "I've just released my first album, that's what we're here for," but the hosts didn't seem interested in talking about Walls at all.
He Won't Be Returning To The BBC Breakfast Show
At the end of his BBC Breakfast interview, Tomlinson took to Twitter to complain about the uncomfortable situation he was placed in, and to make it clear that he'd never return to the show.
Walker messaged Tomlinson back, saying, "Sorry you feel like that. It was nice to speak to you on #BBCBreakfast this morning. Can I ask what you are upset about?"
Tomlinson responded that he was upset that they continued to ask about his grief. He went on to say ; "It goes without saying how hard it is to lose both people so close to me," later adding, "the least I ask is that you respect my decision of not wanting to be asked in interviews about something so painful."
The singer ended the emotional discussion by telling his fans and future interviewers, "I'm lucky enough to have a creative outlet for me to talk about grief. This doesn't however, give you the right to talk about it for gossip purposes."