Today marks the 20th birthday of Niall Horan, the recognizably platinum blonde member of mega-popular British boyband, One Direction. While every "Directioner," as fans call themselves, have their favorite member, in honor of Horan's birthday, here are five reasons you may want to put the Irish heartthrob at the top of your list.
"Yesss ! I'm 20 ! Wohooo ! No more teens!," Horan tweeted earlier today. We don't know what he plans to do to celebrate, but we have a feeling it'll involve his best friends and bandmates, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Liam Payne.
1. He's a total romantic. Although Horan is most likely single at the moment (though EntertainmentWise reports that he may have a "secret girlfriend"), when he does have a lady to love, he's one of the sweetest guys around. Did you know that Horan plans on proposing to the love of his life on Valentine's Day, just like his dad did for his mom? And who that lucky lady will be is up in the air, as Horan is a fan of women of all ages, from fellow 20-something Demi Lovato to 44-year old Jennifer Lopez, who was his first crush, and his currenty one is 30-year old Cheryl Cole. According to Hollywood Life, Horan also insists that no girl should ever have to pay on a date with him, which makes sense, seeing as he's one of the richest young stars in Hollywood!
2. He's multi-talented. When he's not showing off his strong tenor vocals, Horan's always making his bandmates (and fans!) laugh, as the cheeky Irish singer has an amazing sense of humor. We're pretty sure if music didn't work out, he would have made for an excellent actor or comedian. Plus, he plays guitar and is a talented songwriter, lending more than just a beautiful voice to his band. Did you know that Horan co-wrote One Direction's songs "Back For You," "Last Kiss" and "Summer Love?" He's said before that the best Christmas gift he ever received was his beloved guitar.
3. He doesn't let his fears get in the way of loving his fans. Horan suffers from claustrophobia, or fear of small and confined spaces. In an interview with the Sunday Mirror, Horan's father, Bobby, revealed that it "can be frightening" for Niall when hordes of young female fans approach him and his band, especially when they're getting out of their cars or coming out of airports. Despite his intense phobia of crowded spaces, Horan still makes sure to give his devoted fans plenty of love.
4. He's a family man. After One Direction shot to super-stardom, the boys found themselves suddenly rich beyond their wildest dreams, but rather than blow all of their cash on exorbiant vacations and shopping sprees, they first thought of their families who helped them along the road to success.
"Something I love about having some success is being able to treat my friends but I would hate for anyone to think I was trying to show off," Horan recently told the Irish Mirror. "I paid off my mum's mortgage and brought her a car - things I knew she needed - but I don't buy extravagant gifts all the time. I tried to give some money to my dad but he wouldn't take it. He'll barely take a Christmas present off of me. I want to do up the house he lives in but at the same time I don't want to be the idiot who walks in and throws money around."
5. He stands up for his female friends. "If a man whistles at you, don't turn around, ignore him. You're a lady, not a dog," Horan has been quoted as saying, as the star is very much against cat-calling and treating women with respect. Not only is he patiently waiting for the right girl to come along instead of playing the field, when he does find that special someone, he will go out of his way to protect her at all times. Not to mention, he shuns gender norms and is perfectly comfortable wearing "girly" clothing, not to mention admitting that he'd like to be Cheryl Cole for a day just to find out what it's like to be such a sexy dancer.
