One Direction News: Simon Cowell Says the Boys of 1D Are '100% Overworked'

Just like a concerned father, Simon Cowell, the man responsible for one of the hottest boy bands of the decade One Direction is expressing concern over the foursome's wellbeing and hoped that their fans would understand their need to take a break.

Cowell, who used to judge the talent competition American Idol said that the boys of One Direction are "100% overworked" since they first came together on the show "X Factor" five years ago.

"Even though they were young, that was a gruelling schedule and after a while I could see they were exhausted so when they asked how I felt about it I said for them to do whatever they want." Cowell told Yahoo! Celebrity UK. "I've known for a while that they were going to take 2016 off, and they had to on their workload."

He does not believe that their time off from work would mean that they are breaking up as a band. "I don't know if they're going to split up to be honest with you," he said.

But he did have some important advice to share with the boys. Their careers might be important, especially since they are at their peak now, but he wants them to value their personal lives even more.

"I said, 'Make your own decisions, I hope you stay together but you've got to want to do it for yourselves,'" Cowell shared about his talk with the boy band members. "But they're smart guys and they'll work it out."

Cowell specifically mentioned Louis Tomlinson, who will be busy with fatherhood next year. "I think Louis might be on one of the shows," he said, referring to a possible mentorship on "X Factor."

Meanwhile, the band's producer Julian Bunetta said that the boys are merely taking a "well-deserved break."

"They've been doing something that no band has ever done - five albums, five tours, and a movie in five years. It's pretty prolific and incredible. It's up to them. They might take a year off and miss it. They might take a year off and say you know what, I need another year off," he said.

A lot of people think that Zayn Malik's departure from the band would spell doom for One Direction, but Bunetta does not think that this is the case.

"Obviously there's a personality missing, but they're still the same guys," Bunetta said. "They still have the same attitudes. It's not like it's worse or better. It's just the same guys, but there's one missing. It just changes the dynamic regardless."