Jesy Nelson shares emotional statement as she quits Little Mix

She's made the decision to leave the group

Author: Alex RossPublished 14th Dec 2020
Last updated 14th Dec 2020

Jesy Nelson has broken her silence in an emotional statement after it was revealed she's made the decision to quit Little Mix

Jesy, who was put into the group on The X Factor back in 2011, shared a lengthy statement with her fans on Instagram, admitting being in the band has been the 'most incredible' time of her life.

She wrote, 'To all my Mixers, the past nine years in Little Mix has been the most incredible time of my life. We have achieved things I never thought possible. From winning our first Brit Award to our sold out shows at the O2.

'Making friends and fans all over the world I can't thank you all enough from the bottom of my heart for making me fee like the luckiest girl in the world. You have always been there to support and encourage me and I will never ever forget it.'

29-year-old Jesy, who has previously opened up about her struggles in the past, went on to reveal being in Little Mix has recently 'taken a toll' on her mental health.

She wrote, '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.

'There comes a time in life when we need to reinvest in taking care of ourselves rather than focusing on making other people happy, and I feel like now is the time to begin that process.

'So after much consideration and with a heavy heart, I'm announcing I'm leaving Little Mix.

'I need to spend some time with the people I love, doing things that make me happy.'

The 'Break Up Song' singer added, '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.

'I want to say thank you to everyone involved in our journey. All the hard work and dedication that went into making us a success.

'To every single fan who came to see us in concert, who listened to our songs and sung their hearts out, sent me messages and supported me along the way I want you to know I love you all so much and I could never have done this without you and I appreciate it endlessly.

'Most of all I want to say thank you to Jade, Perrie and Leigh-Anne for creating some of the most amazing memories I'll never forget. I hope that you'll continue to fulfil all of your dreams and keep on making music that people love. Love Jesy x.' (sic)

Check out Little Mix's amazing collabs so far:

Little Mix and Missy Elliot - 'How Ya Doin'?

One year after being catapulted to fame on The X Factor, the Little Mix girls teamed up with American rapper Missy Elliott on the massive hit 'How Ya Doin'? in 2012.

Little Mix and Sean Paul - 'Hair'

He's worked with some of the biggest artists on the planet, so Little Mix couldn't wait to work with Sean Paul on their 2015 track 'Hair'.

Little Mix and Jason Derulo - 'Secret Love Song'

The girls also teamed up with the one and only Jason Derulo in 2015, dropping 'Secret Love Song'. It's since become the band's anthem for the LGBT community.

Little Mix and Charlie Puth - 'Oops'

Jade, Perrie, Leigh-Anne and Jesy worked with singer-songwriter Charlie Puth in 2016, releasing the amazing 'Oops'.

Little Mix and CNCO - 'Reggaetón Lento (Remix)'

In 2017, all three of the singles they released were collaborations! Little Mix and Latin American boy band CNCO worked together to release the super-catchy 'Reggaetón Lento (Remix)'. The track has since been a massive favourite with fans.

Little Mix and Stormzy - 'Power'

It was one of the biggest collabs of the year when Little Mix teamed up with Stormzy for their hit 'Power' in 2017. He later joined them on stage in London on one of their 'LM5 - The Tour' dates.

Little Mix and Machine Gun Kelly - 'No More Sad Songs'

'No More Sad Songs' has been a constant feature on Little Mix's set lists since the girls teamed up with Machine Gun Kelly in 2017.

Little Mix and Sharaya J - 'Strip'

Featuring on their 'LM5' album, 'Strip' was Little Mix's amazing female empowerment track with American rapper Sharaya J.

Little Mix and Cheat Codes - 'Only You'

Little Mix worked with American electronic music DJ trio consisting of KEVI, Trevor Dahl, and Matthew Russell in the Summer of 2018, dropping 'Only You'.

Little Mix and Nicki Minaj - 'Woman Like Me'

The girls enlisted the help from the one and only Nicki Minaj in 2018, releasing the amazing single 'Woman Like Me'. The collab, co-written by Nicki, Ed Sheeran, Jess Glynne and producer Steve Mac, reached Number 2 in the UK charts.

Little Mix and Ty Dolla $ign - 'Think About Us'

Little Mix teamed up with Ty Dolla $ign to release their first single of 2019! The girls dropped 'Think About Us' in February.

Little Mix and Nathan Dawe - 'No Time For Tears'

Little Mix worked with DJ Nathan Dawe on 'No Time For Tears', released on Friday 27th November 2020 - just a few weeks after releasing their sixth album 'Confetti'!

Little Mix and Saweetie - 'Confetti'

Little Mix's first single as a trio was a collaboration with Saweetie - 'Confetti' dropped on 30th April with an absolutely banging music video which featured the girls in dual roles as themselves AND male alter egos: Lenny, Pez and J-Dog. It also starred Bimini Bon Boulash, Tayce and A'Whora from RuPaul's Drag Race!

Little Mix, David Guetta and Galantis - 'Heartbreak Anthem'

Just one month after dropping 'Confetti', Little Mix teamed up with superstar DJs David Guetta AND Galantis on their massive single 'Heartbreak Anthem'.

Little Mix and Anne-Marie - 'Kiss My (Uh-Oh)'

After teasing it way back in 2020, July 2021 saw the release of Little Mix's hugely anticipated collab with the one and only Anne-Marie.


Featuring on Anne-Marie's second album 'Therapy', 'Kiss My (Uh Oh)' samples Lumidee's early 00's R&B classic 'Never Leave You'.


And the gals didn't stop there, releasing a 'Girl Power' remix of the track on 26th August 2021, featuring other huge names Becky Hill, Raye and Stefflon Don.

In conjunction with Jesy's emotional statement, her former band mates Perrie, Jade and Leigh-Anne also released a joint statement.

It read, 'After an amazing 9 years together Jesy has made the decision to leave Little Mix. 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 3 of us are not ready for it to be over.

'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 are sending Jesy all of our love. ❤️

You can hear Little Mix's biggest hits on Hits Radio.

Turn it up with Hits Radio! Home of Fleur East, Sam Thompson and Gemma Atkinson playing the biggest hits and the biggest throwbacks, alongside the biggest laughs and life-changing competitions. Tune in on FM, DAB, online or ask your Smart Speaker to 'Play Hits Radio'.