Why did Jesy leave Little Mix? In the months following her decision to leave the band, Jesy teased fans about her upcoming solo journey. However, she encountered challenges in her solo career, and we haven’t seen much of the Boyz singer in recent months.
Jesy Nelson’s career has now taken a new turn, as she has made a return to our TV screens nearly 12 years after she appeared on The X Factor.
Singer Jesy has joined the celebrity lineup of The Great British Bake Off and is set to test her baking skills to raise funds for Stand Up To Cancer. She will appear alongside David Schwimmer, Gemma Collins, as well as Judi Love in the iconic tent. As she changes the studio for the tent, let us take a look at the ups and downs of Jesy’s career in recent years.
Why Did Jesy Leave Little Mix?
Jesy Nelson left Little Mix in 2020, revealing that her nine years in the band had taken a toll on her mental health. Although she initially stated that she was going to take a sabbatical from the band, she left the group permanently after just one month.
At the time, she said, Being part of a girl group and the constant pressure to live up to expectations is very difficult for me.”
She later told Cosmopolitan magazine that worrying about her weight pushed her to her limits. She said, “There was a scene in “Sweet Melody” that I didn’t participate in, and that’s when I had a panic attack and collapsed. “I want to go home,” I thought.
“I cried in the locker room. Someone close to me said, ‘This has to stop.’ I can’t keep doing this to myself. You’ll be back where you started.”
She has been a member of The X Factor since its inception in 2011, along with her bandmates Perrie Edwards, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, and Jade Thirlwall.
Talks of Most Fans
Most fans believe she was still struggling with body image (e.g., she was supposed to be in that rotating shot of the Sweet Melody video), plus her trauma involving trolls and online bullying.
Our theory is that when she was called out for all the tanning, the huge lip overdrawing, etc., she deflected it to ‘I’m being bullied again. I’m a victim. Everyone thinks I’m ugly and hates me, yadda yadda.’
They think her depression, trauma, anger, and all of those feelings she was still working through completely overtook her. Given what we’ve seen in Odd One Out, it’s not that weird that she would think criticism or being called out for something is hate speech directed towards her.
That, of course, doesn’t excuse her behavior. Or the fact that she didn’t even tell the girls that she was quitting the band, blocked them all on WhatsApp, and ‘ slagged them off’ when they tried to call her. She needs help to step out of the spotlight.
Some people also feel like something happened during lockdown. Before lockdown, Jesy seemed fine, and everything was working out well for Little Mix. I think the break from work made her consider what she wanted, and I believe that the lockdown really boosted her mentally, allowing her to spend time looking after herself.
When lockdown ended, it seemed like the other three members were ready to return, perform, and make music, but Jesy felt different. She had more panic attacks and was really struggling to come back to it. From the breakdown on Radio 1 Live Lounge to the one during the filming of Sweet Melody, it was clear that she was having a hard time with her job.
The girls probably did their best to support her, but she seemed to be in a very bad place. So when they brought up the issue of black fishing with her, however, they said it, she probably felt they were attacking her for her appearance, which was the very thing she was trying to love to feel less insecure.
She probably realized how stressed and anxious she was, especially when comparing herself to what she was like in lockdown. That’s when she realized that being in a girl group was making her feel worse.
It’s important to realize that people change, and lockdown, in particular, caused many people to have new mindsets, explore new things, and come out feeling like a different person. I do believe that one day Jesy will truly feel comfortable in her own skin, and when she can feel confident and love herself, she will have a close relationship with the girls again.
