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Artist News
Jesy Nelson leaves Little Mix
By Andy Malt | Published on Tuesday 15 December 2020
Jesy Nelson has left Little Mix, just under a month after it was announced that she would be taking an “extended” break from the group. In a statement, she said that “recently being in the band has taken a toll on my mental health”.
In a post on Instagram, Nelson said that her nine years as a member of Little Mix had been “the most incredible time of my life”. However, she went on: “The truth is recently being in the band has really taken a toll on my mental health. I find the constant pressure of being in a girl group and living up to expectations very hard”.
She added: “There comes a time in life when we need to reinvest in taking care of ourselves rather than focussing on making other people happy, and I feel like now is the time to begin that process”.
Thanking her fans and her now former bandmates, she went on: “I need to spend some time with the people I love, doing things that make me happy. I’m ready to embark on a new chapter in my life – I’m not sure what it’s going to look like right now, but I hope you’ll still be there to support me”.
In their own statement, the three remaining members of the group, Jade Thirlwall, Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Perrie Edwards, said: “This is an incredibly sad time for all of us but we are fully supportive of Jesy. We love her very much and agree that it is so important that she does what is right for her mental health and well-being”.
“We are still very much enjoying our Little Mix journey and the three of us are not ready for it to be over”, they went on. “We know that Jesy leaving the group is going to be really upsetting news for our fans. We love you guys so much and are so grateful for your loyalty and continued support of all of us. We’re looking forward to seeing so many of you on tour”.
Little Mix, of course, were formed on the 2011 series of ‘The X Factor’, going on to win the show and becoming one of the most successful acts to emerge from it. They have gone on to have huge success as a recording and live act. However, Nelson has spoken previously about the depression she has experienced during her time in the group, including at one point attempting suicide.
The group released their latest album, ‘Confetti’, last month, although Nelson has not been involved in promotional activities for it. She also missed the final episode of the group’s own TV talent show, ‘The Search’.
