Louis Tomlinson admits watching his One Direction bandmates perform as solo artists is "surreal".

Louis Tomlinson

Louis Tomlinson

The chart-topping boy band - also comprised of Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, and previously Zayn Malik - are currently on a hiatus, and Louis has used his downtime to watch Niall in action on his own.

Asked whether it's a surreal experience to see the other guys on stage, Louis told Ask Anything: "Yeah. I mean, it's surreal to a certain degree. It's surreal for me to go ... I actually went to watch one of Niall's concert shows, and that was more surreal for me to actually see him on stage and perform, because obviously I've only ever seen him on stage and perform next to me pretty much."

Louis, 26, said that because the band are not currently touring together, he's taken advantage of the opportunity to support Niall.

The 'Just Hold On' hitmaker explained: "It definitely is surreal - it's amazing to be able to have that experience because we didn't have that before. It's nice to be able to cheer on from the sidelines, definitely."

Despite this, Niall admitted last year that he misses the "comfort blanket" of appearing on stage alongside the rest of One Direction.

The 24-year-old star - who has a solo recording contract with Capitol Records - said he's relied on his guitar for comfort since the British group started their hiatus in 2016.

He said: "With 1D, the screaming didn't stop. We'd all run around and there was always some explosion going off or prop coming on.

"Now, I just stand there thanking God for my guitar. When I put that down, I haven't a clue what to do with my hands."