News first broke of the interview on Tuesday 11 July, with Zayn announced as the latest guest to appear on the popular podcast alongside a teaser trailer of the episode.
In the preview clip, Zayn revealed why he chose this moment to return to the limelight.
“I feel like we were so overexposed in the band that that’s why I took the time that I have to not even necessarily do interviews,” he explained.
When will the Call Her Daddy episode with Zayn Malik be released?
The Call Her Daddy episode with Zayn Malik was released on Wednesday the 12th of June. It's Out Now! Listen and Watch the one-hour podcast here.
Where to listen to the Call Her Daddy episode with Zayn Malik in Australia?
Call Her Daddy is an exclusive Spotify Podcast. Listen for free here.
Related: Niall Horan Shares Update on One Direction
What was Zayn Malik's Call Her Daddy Podcast about? Here's Everything We Learnt
Where Zayn is living in 2024
The British-born musician is living in Pennsylvania. "People always ask me why...they always think it's super random," he explained to Alex.
"I ended up coming here with my ex quite a bit and fell in love with it, it's super calm. I just wanted to take a break from the busy city."
He also explained that Pennsylvania reminded him a lot of the area he grew up in England, adding that his previous stint in New York City was too fast-paced and the pressure of paparazzi was much different compared to his new location.
He also shared that he has three cats, three dogs, three turtles and six chickens at home!
Zayn Malik on Fatherhood and Custody
When explaining what his "typical day" looks like, Zayn shared that he has custody of his two-year-old daughter 50% of the time.
He also shared that his daughter, Khaie, who he shares with ex-girlfriend Gigi Hadid, spurred him on to do the interview.
“Since I’ve had my daughter, the main thing in my mind is trying to be a good example to her,” he said.
“That’s why I’m even doing this interview, you know? I used to get a lot of anxiety around having a conversation like this. And I want her to be able to look at me and be like, ‘Yo, my dad’s doing this.’”
Zayn also spoke on balancing fame and fatherhood, explaining his move to Pennsylvania was a priority. "I'm just trying to give her an option, a choice" when it comes to living life in the public eye.
He also revealed Khaie was taking after him in the music realm. "She shows a lot of signs of musical intelligence already, I love just playing instruments with her and singing with her. She can already do good harmonies with me and she's only two and a half," he proudly boasted.
"She loves Disney movies so we sing a lot of Disney songs like You've Got a Friend in Me."
Zayn also shared insight into co-parenting alongside ex, Gigi Hadid. "Co-parenting is good," he shared. "We have a really good relationship for Khaie, she's the main importance. It's going well... I think" he laughed.
Alex also asked him about the rumours from 2021 surrounding his split from Gigi amid gossip that he and Gigi's mother, Yolanda, got into a physical altercation.
"For me, I don't tend to get involved when people say things online...I just keep to myself, I knew what the situation was, I knew what happened and the people involved knew what happened. That's all that I really cared about."
He further explained that he wanted to deal with it in an amicable, respectful way, and was conscious that his daughter could read comments later in life, which was why he refrained from getting into a back-and-forth.
Alex herself also pointed out that the rumours couldn't be true as he was been given 50% custody of his child, something that wouldn;t have happened if the allegations were true.
Zayn's comments on One Direction
When asked about how he comprehended the quick rise to fame as a 17-year-old, he shared that at the time he "didn't comprehend it at all."
"I don't think I was intellectually capable at that age...I think it's taken time to process, I have had to process with an older mind and look at it backwards."
When asked if there was any fear or anxiety that came with performing to such big crowds, Zayn explained: "I think there was but we didn't have time for it...you just got on with it. We just got thrown into the deep end and had to swim. I feel like we did a good job... with keeping it together and making the music."
"I think I got out at the right time, I think if I had stayed any longer it might have affected me a bit more but I think we did the right amount."
Zayn also touched on the marketing scheme behind each member of the band's stereotypes, laughing over how he was typecast as the brooding, quiet one.
“They just said, ‘Oh yeah, you can be the mysterious one.’ That wasn’t necessarily my personality, I’m just chill.
“I know that a lot of people have high-energy personalities, and it’s just not the way I am.”
When asked if he "leaned into" the stereotype, Zayn had quite the take on his boy-band time. "I think I just had one face to pull. I was doing the Zoolander," he laughed.
"I'd known for a minute," Zayn explained about his decision to leave the band in 2015.
"There was a lot of politics going on...certain people didn't want to sign contracts...I knew something was happening and I just got ahead of the curve. Completely selfishly, I wanted to be the first person to go make my own record of I'm honest."
He also hinted that friendships between band members was another reason he chose to leave, explaining "We'd been together every day for five years and we got sick of each other. We were close...and I look back with a much fonder light now."
"We had just run our course."