One Direction's extended hiatus looks set to lose them their title as the most popular pop band in the world.

The 'Little Things' hitmaker's decision to go their separate ways appears to have forced fans to seek music solace elsewhere as new statistics have revealed people aged between 18 to 24 would rather support Fleetwood Mac.

According to StubHub, which surveyed 2,000 Brits, 33 per cent claimed they were fans of the British-American rock band, whereas just 10 per cent liked One Direction.

Nick Harford, Interim General Manager at StubHub International said: ''It's great to see that as well as producing some of the biggest musicians in the world, the UK also has some of the most passionate and loyal music fans.

''It's also interesting to see that long-time rockers Fleetwood Mac are still topping the fandom bill, over the more recent chart toppers One Direction.''

Meanwhile, Ed Sheeran is proving a big hit with the ladies as 38 per cent of UK women would prefer to see the 24-year-old singer in concert and sing along to his tracks.

Taylor Swift has walked away with the most popular female act title after being voted as the favourite by 20 per cent of British men, while Rihanna followed closely behind with 16 per cent. Beyonce, however, slumped into third place with just 12 per cent.