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One Direction scored 3rd place - against Matt Cardle and Rebecca Ferguson - in the epic final of British television singing competition show, The X Factor. A five-member boy band - mentored by Simon Cowell - is made up of Liam Payne, 17, a music technology student at City of Wolverhampton College (born in Wolverhampton on 29 August 1993), Louis Tomlinson, 19, (from Doncaster), a student at Hall Cross School, Niall Horan, 17, (from Mullingar, Westmeath, Ireland), a student at Coláiste Mhuire, Mullingar, Harry Styles, 16, (from Holmes Chapel, Cheshire) a student at Holmes Chapel Comprehensive School and Zayn Malik (born Zain), 17 (from East Bowling, Bradford) a student at Tong High School. They applied as solo candidates to the competition, but failed to qualify for the Boys category. The judges, after a suggestion by Cowell, put them in a band, qualifying for the Groups category. See Less