United Kingdom, Nov. 20 -- Zayn Malik has always felt inspired by Eminem.

The 32-year-old singer - who first found fame as a member of One Direction, the chart-topping boyband - thinks there are some strong similarities between his life and that of the rap legend.

Zayn - who was born in Bradford in northern England - told BBC Radio 1: "I remember watching Eight Mile for the first time when I was growing up in Bradford and that movie inspired me.

"It felt like he was growing up in a similar environment to me. The things he overcame and did were incredibly inspiring.

"Eminem will always be one of the top rappers in my book."

Zayn auditioned as a solo contestant on the UK version of The X Factor back in 2010, and he'll always have fond ...