Little Mix just got littler: Check out members’ reactions to Jesy’s exit

It’s always a sad time when a member of a musical group leaves. It was announced that Jesy Nelson of the British girl group Little Mix has exited after nine years. Little Mix, for those who don’t know such bops as “Black Magic”, was formed during the eighth series of The X Factor in the UK. Little Mix was the first musical group to win the series, which was definitely impressive.

Over the course of their nine years together, Little Mix has released six albums along with several successful singles. They’re known for their signature harmonies with lyrics that focus on female empowerment. Over the course of their career as a group of four, they’ve sold over 50 million records worldwide, making them one of the most successful girl groups of all time.

With Nelson’s exit, however, Little Mix members have gone from a quad down to a trio with Jade Thirlwall, Perrie Edwards, and Leigh-Anne Pinnock remaining. The trio plan on continuing to be Little Mix following Nelson’s exit from the band. As for why Nelson left? She posted a statement on her Instagram where she wrote: 

“The truth is recently being in the band has really taken a toll on my mental health. I find the constant pressure of being in a girl group and living up to expectations very hard. There comes a time when we need to reinvest in taking care of ourselves rather than focussing on making other people happy and I feel like now is the time to begin that process.”

Truth be told, all the kudos in the world to Jesy Nelson. It’s always a brave thing to talk about your mental health and admitting that you need to take a step back in order to handle it to the best of your ability. After all, if something is taking a toll on you whether physically or mentally, then you should be able to step away from it. Even if it is hard and scary, it was brave to do and talk about it.

Honestly, Nelson’s exit from Little Mix isn’t a huge surprise. In November, it was announced that she planned on taking a break from the band for “private medical reasons”. This is just making something a little more permanent than just an unknown amount of time away. 

As for how the Little Mix members are taking Nelson’s exit, the following statement was posted on the Little Mix official Twitter: 

“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. 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.”

Similar sentiments have been echoed throughout the Little Mix fan base as well. Many fans wishing Nelson well and saying that her health comes first, no matter what. There is also praise for Nelson for her courage from stepping away from a successful group like Little Mix in order to focus on her own mental well-being. 

Ultimately, the decision was solely Jesy Nelson’s to make. With her fans and her former members of Little Mix, it seems like she has a deep well of support and encouragement going forward in her future endeavors whatever they may be. Hopefully, she can get the space she needs in order to take care of her mental health.