Perrie Edwards wants children with Zayn Malik in the next three years

When asked how old she'd want to be when she has her first child, she

said: "Well, I would say 24 and that’s in three years’ time for me.

It’s still quite a while away.

"My mam was 24, though, so that’s always been my ideal age."

The 21-year-old singer has been blamed for Zayn's hasty departure from One Direction but she has insisted it was solely his choice.

She added: "People have said did I do this, did I do that? No matter what decision he made, I was always going to support him. If he’d wanted to stay, I would have supported him just the same as I have done since he’s left ... If he’s happy then I’m happy.

"He’s really good. Hopefully everyone understands that it was one of the hardest decisions he’s ever made in his life."

The pair are now looking forward to taking their time planning their wedding but the Little Mix star's mother Debbie is keen to see her daughter walk down the aisle as soon as possible.

When asked if wedding plans had progressed, Perrie told The Sun newspaper's Fabulous magazine: "Not yet, but me mam can’t wait and it’s getting on me nerves.

"She’s like, 'What about the flowers? What about this dress?' And I’m like, 'Mam, stop!' We’ve been so busy, but I literally cannot wait to start planning my wedding."