Niall Horan Responds to Katy Perry's Claim That He's Been Trying to Get Her Number

They have a shared history, dating back to The X Factor

By Corinne Heller Jun 29, 2017 4:41 PMTags

Calm down, Katy Perry, Niall Horan just wants to be your friend.

This week, the Swish Swish singer and new American Idol judge talked about the One Direction star on an Australian radio station, signaling he's been allegedly showing interest in her.

"Niall's amazing, I love him, and I think we feel very connected in a way because, I, like, have helped him get through The X Factor to join his group," Perry, 32, said on the Fitzy & Wippa morning show on Australian radio station Nova 96.9 FM Wednesday. "He's become a big star and I'm like, 'Cool, I guess that means I have taste?' I don't know what that means."

"I see him around all the time," Perry continued. "He's always trying to like, get my number, to like, maybe flirt with me but I'm like, 'I could babysit you. I'm like your mom!'" 

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Katy Perry's Romantic History
Getty Images
Getty Images

Horan, 23, responded on Australian TV news show The Project Thursday.

"Katy, please stop being mean to me," he joked. "She's just finding any excuse now to just patronize me and go around spreading rumors about me. I just want to be your friend!"

"I mean, she is talking like she is about 55 years older than me," he added. "She is not that much older than me."

In 2010, Perry served as a guest judge on The X Factor in England when Horan auditioned as a solo singer, at age 16. Out of the four judges, only Cheryl Cole, who is currently in a relationship with Horan's band mate Liam Payne, did not vote in favor of passing him. He was later placed in a group, which became One Direction.