Britain's Got Talent winners Collabro have said their age and life experience will make them a bit wiser heading into fame than, say, One Direction.
Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson from the world-famous boyband were seen on video last month smoking what they referred to as a "joint", prompting a huge furore in the media and among the fans' parents.
Speaking to the Daily Star, Michael Auger, 24, said: "We're a little bit older than One Direction.
"A couple of us have been to university and had a chance to enjoy a release, getting drunk every night and being a bit silly."
Collabro (WENN)
He added: "Even just from the last few days, we see how intense it can be and they must have had this on a daily basis for the last three years.
"I watched their documentary and one of their mums said she hadn't seen her son for three years."
Jamie Lambert continued: "One Direction are famous on a global level. I don't endorse drugs or smoking weed but at the same time these guys are just human beings.
One Direction at Wembley (WENN)
"They can't do things that normal people do without being judged on a global level."
He went on: "It highlights the darker side of the business and how you don't get any privacy."
The lads are vowing to release their debut album in time for Christmas after sweeping aside the competition to win last night's jam-packed finale.
One Direction at Wembley Stadium (WENN)
This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php#publishers.
