Zayn Malik Says the 'Main Thing on My Mind Is Trying to Be a Good Example' to Daughter Khai

The One Direction alum made the rare comment about the toddler he shares with ex Gigi Hadid during an appearance on the 'Call Her Daddy' podcast

Zayn Malik has a new perspective — and he has fatherhood to thank for it.

After several years out of the spotlight, the One Direction alum, 30, sat down for a rare interview with Alex Cooper for the Call Her Daddy podcast and offered a little insight into his life as a dad.

In a teaser clip for the episode, which releases on Wednesday, the British musician said he's chosen to keep a low profile lately because he felt like he and his former bandmates were "so overexposed" after the group's massive global success.

"That's why I took the time that I have to, like, not even necessarily do interviews," Malik explained.

However, his daughter, Khai, whom he shares with ex-girlfriend Gigi Hadid, inspired him to open up again.

"Since I've had my daughter, the main thing in my mind is trying to be a good example to her," he told Cooper. "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, 'My dad's doing this.'"

He went on to reveal that his bad-boy edge has softened since Khai, 2½, came into his life. "I keep being told I'm telling dad jokes," admitted the singer, who is set to release his new single "Love Like This" on July 21. "And I'm leaning into it. I'm just like, 'It's OK. It's cool.'"

Hadid and Malik welcomed their daughter via a home birth in September 2020.

"Our baby girl is here, healthy & beautiful," Malik wrote on Twitter at the time. "To try put into words how I am feeling right now would be an impossible task. The love I feel for this tiny human is beyond my understanding. Grateful to know her, proud to call her mine, & thankful for the life we will have together x."

Hadid also announced her little one's birth on social media, sharing a black-and-white image featuring Malik and Khai holding hands. "Our girl joined us earth-side this weekend and she's already changed our world. So in love🥺💕," the model wrote.

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Though the pair later split in October 2021 following an alleged altercation with Hadid's mother, Yolanda, they've since remained dedicated to raising Khai together.

"It's been really easy for me and Gigi to kind of just ease into it, I guess," Malik said of fatherhood in a March 2021 interview on HeartRadio's Valentine in the Morning. "She kind of made it easy for us. She sleeps really well, she loves her milk."

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In a June 2021 interview with Access Hollywood, Hadid spoke about the joys of motherhood. "The highlight is, I would say, the most simple things," the Next in Fashion host said. "Just seeing her learn something new every day, even if it's picking up a cup or putting a ball in a hole. You just think they're the best, most genius thing that's ever been born."

Related: Louis Tomlinson Says One Direction Split Left Him 'Mortified' — But He'd 'Be Up' for a Reunion

In September, Hadid and Malik came together to celebrate Khai's second birthday with a Peppa Pig-themed party. The model posted photos of the toddler's colorful cake on her Instagram Story, tagging Malik, whom she later credited with organizing the event.

"Her baba threw her the best party," she captioned another photo which showed Khai from behind in a pink tie-dye dress with sneakers on and her hair in a ponytail, reaching for something on the table her cake was on.

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