It seems that One Direction star Niall Horan is “down in the dumps” right now after US singer Katy Perry revealed that he reminds her of her little brother, and brotherly love isn’t the sort Niall was hoping for…

A source close to Niall told the Daily Star that Niall’s had a crush on Katy for years, and he had hoped that she might find him attractive.

The insider said that Niall revealed, “Katy Perry still gets me every time. She’s very funny in person.”

Niall’s first met Katy when she was a guest judge on The X Factor during his audition in 2010, and she of course put him through to Boot Camp, where his life changed forever.

However, when Niall met up with Katy again recently, he revealed, “She pulled my cheeks and told me how cute I was…”

The insider said, “From the moment she put him through on X Factor he remembers her telling him not to let her down, and he was determined to prove himself to her.

“He thought that now, because he had achieved all this success, she would look at him differently – but it didn’t work.

“He’s gutted she doesn’t feel the same about him but it was definitely worth a go.”

However, Katy clearly hasn’t forgotten the promise either as she recently tweeted, “@NiallOfficial congratulations, you didn’t let me down! Xo.”

Niall replied, “Hey katy, thank you, let’s hope it holds out this week!

“Thank you for putting me thru! we’ve been working hard, I won’t let you down.”

The source added, “Niall will always hold a torch for her. If she ever changes her mind he’ll be waiting.”