FIONA Bevan really “gets” the lyrics to One Directions’ new single, Little Things.

Well she should as she wrote it over a cup of tea with her good pal Ed Sheeran.

The singer-songwriter who went to school in Colchester can’t believe her luck the song she helped create one rainy afternoon five years ago with her now phenomenally famous friend is on its way to becoming a global mega hit.

But the track, which was released this week and was performed by the boyband on X Factor on Saturday night in front of millions of TV viewers, almost never saw the light of day after the pair recorded the song on to Sheeran’s mobile phone, which the star then lost!

Earlier this year Fiona thankfully found their handywork and sent it to Sheeran, reminiscing ‘Do your remember this?’ Sheeran, who was working with 1D at the time, pitched it to band members Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson, and they loved it.

Within weeks the track was recorded and has now been released as the second single on 1Ds new album, Take Me Home.

Fiona said: “I’m just so glad we found the song after all that time. I sent it to Ed and he e-mailed back saying he was working with One Direction and asked if I minded if he played it to them to see what they thought?

“ I was like ‘Do I mind?’ Are you kidding!?

“The fact they really liked it and it’s now released is just amazing. It’s beyond words as it’s all happened so fast.

“I’ve been on the music scene for a while and have worked really hard, so it’s amazing things are starting to take off.”

Fiona, who was educated at Colchester High School for Girls, is from across the border in Suffolk, as is Sheeran, who grew up in Framlingham.

But it wasn’t until they both moved to London to pursue a songwriting career that they became friends, and remain so to this day.

Fiona remembers the afternoon they wrote Little Things, saying: “It’s is a love song really about respecting yourself and loving someone for who they are, including their imperfections.”

Sheeran, whose debut album, The A Team, went straight to number 3 in the charts, has said Little Things contains one of his favourite lyrics of all time: “You still have to squeeze into your jeans, but you’re perfect to me.”

Royalties and world-wide recognition are the more obvious benefits to penning a chart-topping hit, but there’s also been a byproduct of success Fiona didn’t expect.

Fiona, who confessed she hasn’t met the 1D boys yet, said: “I’ve had thousands of tweets from girls and women all over the world thanking me for writing a song about loving yourself and accepting someone for who they are.”

Fiona says Ed is a not only a great songwriter and performer but a nice guy.

She said: “He hasn’t changed a bit since his success. He’s still the same Ed he always was.”

Fiona has already built a reputation as an in-demand songwriter. She has recently been working with jazz star Gwyneth Herbert and has also co-written a song for Britain’s Got Talent’s Loveable Rogues called Maybe Baby Colchester gig-goers will also remember Fiona from her time in pop-rock outfit Rocking Horse.

Although she now lives in London, Fiona hopes to return to Colchester soon to perform.

She said: “There’a always something happening. I can’t wait to go back.”

For more information, go to www.fionabevan.co.uk