Zayn Malik was shocked when a fan fainted at his touch.

The One Direction heart throb has admitted he wasn't prepared for the fanaticism the band would be faced with early in their careers - after finished third on 'The X Factor' in 2010 - and he was stunned when one avid supporter ''literally dropped to the floor'' after meeting her hero.

Writing in 'Who We Are: Our Autobiography', he said: ''I did a signing at a shopping mall during this early promotional date and a girl gave me a CD to sign.

''I took it off her and as I did, my hand must've touched hers - instantly she stone-cold fainted, flat-out, right on the spot! She literally dropped to the floor, lights out.

''I'd never sen anything like that in my life ... Never in a million years would I expect someone to react in such an extreme way to meeting them ... I couldn't process it back then - and I still can't now.''

Meanwhile, his bandmate Harry Styles has admitted he used to struggle with nerves early in the 'Story of My Life' hitmaker's career, but he has learnt to use them to his advantage.

He said: ''I suffered some pretty serious confidence issues when i first appeared on stage ... Sometimes just standing on a stage made me nervous ... Now it's a totally different game.

''Now I now that if your nerves are controlled correctly, it can actually give you a bit of an edge, an extra sense of focus. If you let the take over completely they can really put you off.''