Jesy Nelson of Little Mix has announced that she will be stepping down and leaving the Pop group. Formed 9 years ago on the X Factor 2011, Nelson has been part of one of the most popular and influential groups of the current times and it is sad news that she is departing. Addressing fans on her Instagram, Nelson has said that her mental health has taken a massive toll on her through the years and it is time to focus on herself and her mental health.
Originally auditioning as solo acts, Jesy Nelson, Jade Thrilwall, Perrie Edwards, and Leigh-Anne Pinnock later formed the British girl group known today as Little Mix. Being the first group act to win the X Factor at the time. The band is one of the best-known winners of the X Factor having such an amazing career, having 7 successfully albums (1 of which reached number 1 in the UK), numerous singles with 4 of them being number 1 in the UK, sold-out tours, and as of recently their own talent contestant TV show.
Normally when a member leaves a group it’s due to disagreements or a falling out. With Nelson and Little Mix, however, it wasn’t anything near that. Nelson for a while has been out of the spotlight “Nelson’s decision comes a month after she took time off from the group, citing “private medical reasons” Nelson also missed the final of Little Mix’s TV show. It has now come to light that the reason for being absent was due to a decline in Nelson’s mental health.
In her statement on her Instagram, Nelson said “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 now is the time to begin that process”. Being in the constant public spotlight and “living up to expectations” has taken a massive toll on Nelson leading her to step away from being a part of Little Mix. At first, fans were obviously very upset, but that sadness has turned into an outpouring of support from both fans and now former group mates.
Jade, Perrie, and Leigh-Anne all fully support Nelson’s decision to step away from the group. They also made a social media post on the band’s Instagram “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”.
Nelson, who has normally been such a formidable force spreading positivity and confidence for women, has seemed to bottle up a lot, and it’s very important for her to take the time for herself to get better. Fans and have shared their hope that Jesy starts to feel better and takes all the time she needs to have some much needed time for herself and her mental health
