Nathan Sykes insists recording a love song with ex-girlfriend Ariana Grande wasn't "awkward".

He said: "I think it's only as awkward as everyone else makes it.

"I think it's a very easy storyline for everyone in the media world. I think as soon as everyone found out we were doing this, it was like, 'Headlines for days! Thank you so much, Nathan and Ariana, that is so kind of you!'

"I spoke to [Ariana] and I was like, 'It's only as awkward as everyone else makes it.;

"If we don't make it awkward, then at the end of the day, after a couple of weeks, it's not going to be awkward anymore."

Despite the romantic lyrics of the song, Nathan insists the collaboration shouldn't be seen as "weird" as he simply wanted to have an "incredible" vocalist join him on the track.

He told 'Entertainment Tonight': "It's not weird to me at all. I think the most important thing for me is that she's an incredible vocalist and I really think she brings something great to the song.

"I think it shows real maturity that we can both do this and not really let it bother us."

And the former Wanted singer thinks it was made easier as it feels like "forever ago" since he dated 22-year-old Ariana.

He said: "I've experienced so much life experience in those years [that] it does feel like forever ago."