Liam Payne reveals the real reason behind awkward X Factor exit

Liam Payne stole the show when he returned to the X Factor over the weekend - but for all the wrong reasons.

The 24-year-old was on the popular singing competition on Saturday night  to perform his newest single, Bedroom Floor.  He walked in a circle behind host Dermot as the host was talking about the contestants, before walking off the stage altogether. He left viewers particularly baffled when he appeared to dart off stage and into the crowd after his performance to see Cheryl - before the pair made a hasty exit. A stunned Dermot O’Leary asked mid-sentence:

“Where’s he going?”

But Liam has now cleared things up at the Pride of Britain awards, said that he had been “told to go the wrong way” by producers. He said to the Mirror:

“Producers told me to go this way and it looked like I was going out the front, bossed off the stage and took my missus and buggered off. “But that’s what I got told to do and I got so much stick for it. “It was hilarious, storming off the stage and taking my missus.”

The singer added that he was a gutted "Uncle Simon" wasn't there to see his return to the show, but had heard through Cheryl that the mogul was on the mend. Simon was forced to miss the first two of the X Factor's live shows this past weekend after he fell down the stairs in his London home. Photos via Getty/ITV