Simon Cowell Apologizes for 'Who Misses Zayn?' Joke

Simon Cowell is saying sorry to fans who were upset over a joke he made about Zayn Malik‘s exit from One Direction.

The 56-year-old X Factor judge was accepting an award at the 2015 Music Industry Trust Awards earlier this week from the guys of One Direction when he made the joke.

“I just kind of thought when I was standing on stage with them, that they were back to being five, and I saw myself in One Direction for a moment,” Simon told New York’s Fresh 102.7. “That’s when I made that quip, ‘Who needs Zayn?’ which of course backfired hugely.”

He continued, “So I apologize to any Zayn fans out there – it was meant as a joke.”