Zayn Malik is one half of a celebrity couple (along with model girlfriend Gigi Hadid), his solo album debuted at number one in both the UK and US charts last year, and has amassed a whopping one billion downloads on Spotify, following several years as a member of the internationally renowned boyband One Direction. So it’s safe to say ELLE UK’s 2016 September cover star can’t exactly pop to the shops for a pint of milk without, at the very least, a head turn from a passerby.
‘It’s a really weird world,’ he tells the Evening Standard, discussing his view of fame. ‘I don’t think there’s anywhere I could be anonymous now.’ Opening up about the difficulties of living life in the spotlight, the Bradford-born star reveals when he stays with Gigi Hadid, in New York, it’s difficult to indulge in the occasional moment of anonymity.
He says: ‘In New York [where Hadid is based], you can sometimes get out in the early hours of the morning for a walk. ‘But there’s no underground parking here, no escape routes. So they’re going to get pictures, they’re going to find you. In LA [his own usual US base], it’s more catered to these things — you’ve got back entrances and that,’ he adds.
However, fortunately for the star – who, over the years, has been candid about his struggles with anxiety and finding his own identity post One Direction – he has a supportive girlfriend by his side. Revealing the 22-year-old model — who has her own collection with Tommy Hilfiger — ‘assisted’ him in his latest capsule collection for Versace’s diffusion line Versus – modelled by Gigi’s sister, Bella, in the campaign –, the ‘Still Got Time’ crooner said that despite their fame, him and Gigi are very much a ‘normal couple’.
When asked whether having a partner who is used to fame (Hadid’s mother, Yolanda, stars in the reality show The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills) helps, Malik admits: ‘She gets it, she’s very understanding. ‘But I can understand how it can look, that you’ve got these two people in a ‘power couple’. ‘That’s not something I want to be a part of. I’m with her because I like her and I hope she’s with me because she likes me. When we come home, we don’t really talk about that sh*t. We just spend time together as a normal couple, cook food, watch TV, have a laugh,’ he adds.
The pair’s ability to enjoy each other’s company away from the shutter bugs is something Gigi herself has mentioned previously, admitting her British boyfriend has sparked off her new-found addiction for Heinz Baked Beans, tea and butter chicken. Malik concludes: ‘I’ve got into a thing of cooking pies recently. I cook a mean chicken and sweetcorn pie, with Alfredo sauce. I make my own pastry, roll it out and everything.’
Zayn Malik—singer, designer, pie chef.
From: ELLE UK
