Taylor Swift dating Harry Styles - report

TAYLOR SWIFT appears to have rebounded from her summer fling with CONOR KENNEDY - her love life is going in ONE DIRECTION.

The pop star was spotted holding hands with boy band pin-up Harry Styles backstage at The X Factor in Los Angeles on Thursday night (15Nov12).

The new romance rumors spread on Friday morning (16Nov12) after The X Factor co-host Mario Lopez revealed all about his encounter with the One Direction singer backstage on his radio show.

He told listeners, "Taylor Swift was the special guest performer, and (here's) a little inside scoop for you. During rehearsals, Harry from One Direction came and slapped me on the back, and said, 'Hey, Mario, how ya doing?' And I said, 'What are you doing here?' And he sort of (pointed) toward Taylor."

Lopez revealed he later saw the stars "walking off hand in hand," adding, "So, Taylor Swift and Harry from One Direction - you heard it here first. (They're) officially hanging out, I can say that much."

If the rumors are true, Styles is Swift's latest celebrity boyfriend - the Love Story singer has previously dated Joe Jonas, Jake Gyllenhaal, John Mayer and Taylor Lautner.

Styles, who was in Los Angeles for an appearance on the Ellen DeGeneres Show earlier this week, reportedly spent the day with Swift as she rehearsed for her the X Factor performance.

A source tells UsMagazine.com, "After she finished, he went up to the stage. They were joking and laughing. He picked her up and threw her over his shoulder and carried her off."