Boy George has some words of wisdom for Liam Payne about the nature of fame – but borrowed them from David Bowie.

The One Direction singer expressed his exasperation about being hounded while trying to see New York, asking, “Why is it that in New York people think it’s ok to swear and shout horrible things at you in the street…”

54-year-old Boy George, who rose to fame in the 1980s with Culture Club, chimed in with some wise lyrics from David Bowie’s song Fame.

The 1975 song, which reached Number One in the singles charts, is a bitter, ironical take on fame.

Other lyrics include: “Fame, puts you there where things are hollow”, and “Fame, it’s not your brain, it’s just the flame / That burns your change to keep you insane”.

However, it seems the 21-year-old 1D star isn’t totally jaded about the band’s widespread popularity just yet: only a couple of weeks ago he was praising directioners as the “best fans” in the world.