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Jesy Nelson Dangles Prospect of Little Mix Reunion: 'We Probably See Things a Lot Differently Now'
'I have so much love for them and always will,' says the singer
Former Little Mix star Jesy Nelson has revealed that she isn't ruling out a reconciliation with her former bandmates, suggesting that motherhood and maturity have transformed her perspective on their relationship.
The Path to Solo Careers
Formed on ITV's reality show The X Factor in 2011, Little Mix became one of Britain's most successful pop groups, delivering chart-topping hits like 'Shout Out to My Ex', 'Black Magic' and 'Break Up Song'. Nelson departed the group in 2020, citing the significant toll that being in Little Mix had taken on her mental wellbeing. Her bandmates Jade Thirlwall, Perrie Edwards, and Leigh-Anne Pinnock continued as a trio before announcing a hiatus in 2022, with all four members subsequently pursuing individual solo projects.
Motherhood Brings New Perspective
In a candid new interview, Nelson has opened up about how becoming a mother has fundamentally shifted how she views her former colleagues. The 33-year-old musician credited her twin daughters, born in May 2025, with healing 'a part of me which I never thought was possible'.
'We're all mums now and I can't speak on behalf of them, but I'd like to think that we probably see things a lot differently now,' she told The Sun. 'I think you do, just as you get older anyway, but you know, never say never. I have so much love for them and always will. So never say never [to a reconciliation].'
Reflecting on Sisterhood and Success
Looking back on her time with the group, Nelson emphasised that the 'majority of my time in Little Mix was incredible'. She stated: 'I've never spoken horrendously about Little Mix. Even though I've had crappy times in terms of my mental health and what being in the band did to me, our sisterhood, my relationship that I had with them and the years I did spend with them were amazing.'
She added: 'That's the reason why Little Mix were so successful because we genuinely were like sisters at one point, we were genuinely best friends.'
Mental Health Struggles Documented
Nelson's challenging experiences within Little Mix and the impact on her mental health were explored in depth in the BBC documentary Jesy Nelson: Odd One Out, where she revealed she had attempted suicide due to online bullying. In 2023, she acknowledged that she hadn't spoken to her former bandmates in years.
Reconciliation with Simon Cowell
However, Nelson did share that she had reconciled with The X Factor creator and judge Simon Cowell after he reached out following her daughters' SMA1 (spinal muscular atrophy) diagnosis. 'I actually spoke to Simon recently because he reached out. He called me, he reached out to me when I had the girls' diagnosis,' she said, referring to his docuseries Simon Cowell: The Next Act. SMA1, according to the NHS, causes muscle weakness, movement problems, breathing and swallowing difficulties, muscle tremors, and bone and joint issues.
Bandmates' Emotional Responses
Thirlwall and Edwards have both spoken about the grief they experienced following Nelson's departure. Thirlwall told Louis Theroux on his podcast that she bore no ill feeling towards Nelson for her decision but had struggled to process her abrupt exit. 'I think that's why I struggled with it, because we didn't all get a chance to just sit together like we've done for so many years... just hash it out,' she said. 'There's no hate there from me or from any of us I think.'
Edwards has described the distance between them as 'heartbreaking'. 'We don't talk, and haven't done for a long time,' she told Cosmopolitan in 2024. 'It's really sad, it's heartbreaking. But sometimes these things happen and people decide they want to part ways, and that's absolutely fine.'
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