Jesy Nelson: The Unexpected Desire to Leave Little Mix Early On
Former Little Mix member Jesy Nelson has revealed a surprising detail about her time in the chart-topping girl group: she contemplated leaving the band just two years after their explosive win on The X Factor in 2011. The iconic group, which also featured Jade Thirlwall, Perrie Edwards, and Leigh-Anne Pinnock, catapulted Nelson and her bandmates to global stardom. However, in a candid conversation on the Great Company with Jamie Laing podcast, Nelson disclosed that the desire to step away from the limelight surfaced much earlier than many might have expected, a full seven years before her eventual departure.
Nelson, who appeared on the podcast in a distinctive camouflage zip-up, received praise from host Jamie Laing for her bravery in leaving the group just a year shy of their planned 10th-anniversary celebrations. “That [leaving] presented itself far before I made that decision,” Nelson explained. “There was a time where I was like ‘oh, I want to leave’ and I remember sitting down with my family… and it was actually because of my brother that in the end I stayed.”
Family Support and Financial Prudence
Reflecting on that initial period of doubt, Nelson recounted the discussion with her family. “The first time I wanted to leave I remember I went home and we were kinda weighing up the [pros and cons]… and at that point we weren’t even at our biggest. We were, it had only been like two years, but we were still big. Everyone still knew who Little Mix were so it was like ‘if you leave now, what are you going to do?’”
It was her brother’s pragmatic advice that ultimately persuaded her to remain. He reportedly told her, “you are so much stronger than you give yourself credit for and I think you can stick this out for another few years.” He further advised her to focus on the financial opportunities, stating, “just make as much money as you can, you’ve got a chance to really change your family’s life. If somewhere in you can do this for another few years, do it, and then leave, because you’ll never get this opportunity again.” Nelson acknowledged the wisdom in his words, expressing gratitude for staying and being able to significantly impact her family’s financial well-being.
A New Chapter: Documenting a Fight for Change
This financial stability has become particularly significant for Nelson as she navigates a challenging personal journey. She recently shared the devastating prognosis for her twin daughters, Ocean Jade and Story Monroe, who are nine months old. Both have been diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), a genetic neuromuscular disease, and face the grim possibility of not living beyond the age of two.
Despite this heart-wrenching news, Nelson has chosen to continue filming for her upcoming Amazon Prime documentary, Jesy Nelson: Life After Little Mix. She explained her decision during a Q&A session in London, emphasizing her drive to “make a change.” “I just hope people continue to watch the next part of the journey. When the girls got their diagnosis, we decided that we wanted to continue filming. As hard as it was, we were like, ‘You know what? There’s a reason you guys are here, and we’ve got to make the best out of this situation.’”
The Mission to Raise Awareness and Drive Change
Nelson’s primary objective is to advocate for the inclusion of SMA testing in the standard heel prick test for newborns. “I’m sure you guys are aware, like, I’m trying to get it [SMA] made part of the heel prick test. That’s my main goal right now, as well as looking after my beautiful girls,” she stated. She anticipates the documentary will be emotionally taxing but is hopeful it will serve as a powerful tool for awareness and change. “I haven’t even seen it back yet, but I already know it’s going to be tough. But I’m just so happy that we’ve been able to document everything, because I really believe that we’re going to make a change. Like, I feel it. I love how dedicated people are to spreading awareness about everything that I’ve been through and this [programme] is going to shed even more.”
SMA1 is a progressive condition characterized by muscle weakness and wasting due to the degeneration of motor neurons. This impacts essential bodily functions such as breathing and swallowing. Without timely treatment, the muscle deterioration can be fatal, with a life expectancy often cut short before the age of two.
Nelson, who recently separated from the children’s father, Zion Foster, 26, remains hopeful. She believes that with the ongoing treatment her daughters are receiving, they may defy the odds and live significantly longer lives. She described the disease in detail: “So spinal muscular atrophy is a muscular wasting disease, so they don’t have a gene that we all have in our body. Their muscles are now deteriorating and wasting away, and if you don’t get them treatment in time, eventually the muscles will all just die, which then affects the breathing, the swallowing, everything. And they will die before the age of two. It’s not okay, but it is what it is, and I just have to accept it, and now just try and make the best out of this situation… And my girls are the strongest, most resilient babies and I really believe that they are going to defy all the odds.”
