Ritchie Neville said One Direction's management have learnt from bands like 5ive.
Speaking about Zayn Malik leaving the band after five years, 5ive member Neville explained that One Direction's manager told him that popstars are now given more free time.
In an interview with Metro, Neville explained: "One Direction's manager was the head of our European record label, and I had a chat with him at a festival recently.
"I said, 'They've been going a while, but they still look fresh. When we'd been doing it that long, we looked absolutely f**ked.'
"He said they'd learned from us and other bands, and now when One Direction do two months of work, they get a month off. We had less than a week off in the first two years and we were doing 18-hour days.
"We'd go to the US and the flight would count as our sleep, and we'd be performing as soon as we got off the plane. No wonder you start bickering. You just need a bit of sleep."
What to Read Next
On Malik's decision to leave 1D, Neville also said that it was "difficult" being in a successful pop group at such a young age.
"Possibly Zayn didn't initially want to be in a band," he explained. "If that's the case, there's every possibility he's had enough and wants to regain the person he is - not being 'the person from that band', which I understand.
"It's very difficult at that age, you haven't had much experience of life outside the band and you have everything done for you. It's a story we see over and over again.
"It's sad. Maybe I should set up a Popstars Anonymous support group."
