Break up song Jesy Nelson leaving Little Mix after nine years with girlband

​Jesy Nelson is leaving Little Mix after nine years with the popular girlband, it has been announced.

The band – Jade Thirlwall, Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Perrie Edwards – announced the news in a string of tweets.

They said: “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."

The band, who found fame on The X Factor, said: “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’re looking forward to seeing so many of you on tour. Love always, Jade, Perrie and Leigh-Anne xxx.”

The news follows an announcement in November that Nelson, 29, would be taking an “extended” break for private medical reasons.

Nelson had previously been absent from the final of Little Mix’s BBC One talent show The Search and also a performance at the MTV European Music Awards.

A statement from the band’s publicist Simon Jones said: “Jesy is having extended time off from Little Mix for private medical reasons. We will not be issuing any further comment currently and ask media to please respect her privacy at this time.”

The band had recently released their sixth studio album titled Confetti, their first since departing Simon Cowell’s label Syco.

Little Mix formed on The X Factor in 2011 and have become one of the country’s biggest-selling girl bands.

They auditioned on the ITV singing show as soloists, but were then placed into a group by the judges in the show’s later stages.

They left Syco Music for the RCA label in November 2018.

Cowell later launched another version of The X Factor, called The Band, to rival the girl group’s The Search.

Nelson has previously spoken openly about her battle with anxiety and previously revealed in a BBC documentary called Odd One Out that abuse on social media got so bad she attempted to take her own life.

The programme won her the award for best factual entertainment at the 2020 National Television Awards.

The band are scheduled to embark on a UK tour next year.

Download the Sunday World app

Now download the free app for all the latest Sunday World News, Crime, Irish Showbiz and Sport. Available on Apple and Android devices

Press Association