Jade Thirlwall paid an emotional tribute to Little Mix on stage at the Reading Festival on Saturday. The Angel of My Dreams singer, 33, who shot to fame with the X Factor stars 15 years ago, was performing solo when she made a shoutout to the group, who became one of the world's best-selling girl bands.
A special moment for Jade
With the sun coming out on an otherwise rain-soaked day, Jade told the crowd how proud she was of her roots. As the Reading revellers whooped and cheered she teased: "You may not know, but I used to be in a girl band."
With her audience going wild, she continued: "I really am very proud to come from Little Mix. We never got to do Reading and Leeds, we didn't get to do many festivals actually so this feels like a really special moment for me to be out here on my own with my own music."
Little Mix medley in homage
With excitement building, Jade, wearing a grey zip-up top, matching shorts and fishnet tights, announced that she would be performing a medley of Little Mix songs in "homage" to the band as some of the crowd started running towards the stage in anticipation.
Jade, who recently split with Rizzle Kicks star Jordan Stephens, then embarked on a rousing rendition of some of Little Mix's greatest hits, including Reggaeton Lento and Shoutout to My Ex.
From X Factor to solo success
Little Mix burst onto the scene in 2011 after winning The X Factor and quickly became one of the most successful girl groups of all time. The original line-up consisted of Jesy Nelson, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Jade and Perrie Edwards. Together, they released multiple chart-topping albums and singles, earning worldwide recognition for their talent, powerful performances, and girl-power anthems.
However, behind the glitz and glamour, cracks were beginning to show, ultimately leading to a bitter fallout when Jesy left and Leigh-Anne, Perrie and Jade went on an indefinite hiatus.
Jade, however, didn't waste any time in putting out her own music and has achieved impressive success as a solo artist. In 2022, she signed a solo record deal with RCA Records and released her debut single, Angel of My Dreams in 2024, which reached number seven on the UK Singles Chart and was nominated for Song of the Year at the 2025 Brit Awards.
Her debut solo studio album That's Showbiz Baby! was released on 12 September 2025 to critical acclaim, debuting at number three on the UK Albums Chart. In addition to her solo success, Jade has also co-written songs for various artists through her publishing deal with Sony/ATV Music.
