The guys of British-Irish boy band One Direction stress that in spite of enjoying stratospheric success over the last two years, they have not changed at all and unlike the way others may perceive them, they are just a bunch of normal guys. Fellow band mate Liam Payne says that he and the boys are never going to let the fame get to their heads and develop an ego over what they have achieved.

One Direction’s debut single “What Makes You Beautiful” reached the number one rank on iTunes within 15 minutes of its release. The track also enjoyed the biggest first week sales of 2011 selling a whooping 153,965 copies. “What Makes You Beautiful” also became the third quickest selling single of last year. In December last year, the band performed in Capital FM’s Jingle Bell Ball.

On Thursday night, the band performed at Winter Gardens in Blackpool, England. The auditorium was filled with ear-splitting screams coming from waves of teenage female fans hysterically applauding the boys as they took to the stage. The crowd was filled with girls wearing 1D T-shirts and carrying banners mentioning the boys’ names.

In an interview, One Direction band mate Harry Styles mentions that although it might seem that being in a boy band is all too glamorous, in reality it is not so. The heartthrob generally receives a lot of cute gifts from his female fans. However, there is one particular ‘present’ that he considers to be most memorable. While performing in Italy, the 17-year-old was hit in the face by a tampon. Harry confesses that the fans in Great Britain might be unpredictable but the Italians are by far the craziest of the lot.

In the midst of all this wildness, Liam posted a message on Twitter saying thanks to the fans for their support and apologized for being quiet lately during the band’s recent UK tour.