D'oh! 2fm play leaked version of One Direction's new single

One Direction. Photo: PA

POP station 2fm has ended up in hot water after playing a wrong version of One Direction's new single.

Fans of the band were delighted to hear the Best Song Ever, but the lad's record label was less than impressed.

The track aired by the RTE station was emailed to 2fm having been downloaded from the internet and was not the official release.

Within minutes of track Best Song Ever being played on Ruth & Paddy's Breakfast Show, label Sico had contacted RTE warning them not to play this version again as it was not the official release.

"People can find and download anything off the internet, and this was not that release but something leaked on to the internet. I'm surprised RTE would do something this reckless," said a record company insider.

"The official release was not being given to 2fm until today so this was somebody jumping the gun."

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A 2fm insider told Herald: "Ruth and Paddy got emailed this version by somebody who took it off UK radio."

The early play of the unofficial One Direction track sparked confusion in other Irish radio stations, who scrambled to add the song to their playlists.

"If 2fm had the One Direction single, why didn't anyone else? That sent even more radio people on to the internet looking for the same track. It was chaos," added a source in a city radio station.

Interest in Best Song Ever came because it is the first track from One Direction's forthcoming third album and part of the promo for their first movie, the 3D This Is Us.

"2fm have been working very closely with the major labels to get the first play on new releases since the new boss Dan Healy took over. "Nobody wanted them to get the first play on this new One Direction single but yesterday morning it seemed like 2fm had," said the radio source.

2fm presenter Ruth Scott, who has been filling in for Hector O hEochagain on the 2fm Breakfast show with co-presenter Paddy McKenna, did not return calls when contacted by the Herald last night.

Best Song Ever is released on July 22 with the official release getting its first radio play today.

hnews@herald.ie