X Factor's One Direction 'to split £2m'

Wolverhampton's X Factor star Liam Payne was today rumoured to have hit the jackpot - after he and his One Direction mates reportedly split a cool £2million.

Liam, aged 17 and from Bushbury, is in the US with Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles and Niall Horan — as well as X Factor finalist Cher Lloyd — to record their first album.

The foursome received £8,000 each when they signed to Simon Cowell's Syco record label.

But reports today suggested they have since shared a seven-figure sum.

It is believed they will have to pay back much of the money from record sale profits. But a source claimed they were well on the way to the big time after arriving in Los Angeles.

A source said today: "One Direction are in the States to meet top producers and songwriters before they start recording material for their debut album. Even the X Factor finalist usually waits nearly a year to release their material but Simon is keen to get One Direction cracking.

"They are getting stuck in and will put out a first single this spring. Then they will hear the cash register chime." The band's agent refused to confirm the deal.

The endorsement appears to show X Factor Cowell has become more confident of the band's prospects having warned on the eve of their appearance in the show's final they "hadn't necessarily got a career'.

Today's revelations come after the band was kicked out of a London hotel for popstar antics last week with girls stalking the corridors to hunt them down. While Cher failed in her bid to win the show she is being widely tipped for success on both sides of the Atlantic.

Before launching their own careers, both acts will be on the X Factor tour which starts on February 19 at Birmingham's LG Arena, featuring finalists including Dudley's Wagner Carrilho.