Jesy Nelson dangles prospect of Little Mix reunion: ‘We probably see things a lot differently now’

Former Little Mix star Jesy Nelson has said the band’s members were “like sisters at one point” and she isn’t saying no to a reconciliation with them.

Formed on ITV reality show The X Factor in 2011, Little Mix went on to become one of the most successful British pop groups of all time, releasing hit singles and chart-topping albums including “Shout Out to My Ex”, “Black Magic” and “Break Up Song”.

Nelson departed in 2020, citing the toll being in Little Mix had taken on her mental health.

Bandmates Jade Thirlwall, Perrie Edwards, and Leigh-Anne Pinnock continued with the band before they announced a hiatus in 2022. All four members have since been pursuing solo careers.

Now, in a new interview, Nelson has talked about how motherhood has shifted how she looks at her former bandmates.

The 33-year-old musician credited her twin daughters, who were 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. 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],” she told The Sun.

Looking back on her time in the band, she said that the “majority of my time in Little Mix was incredible”.

“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.

“That’s the reason why Little Mix were so successful because we genuinely were like sisters at one point, we were genuinely best friends.”

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Nelson’s time with Little Mix and the toll the work took on her mental health was also the subject of a popular BBC documentary titled, Jesy Nelson: Odd One Out, where she revealed that she had attempted suicide as a result of the online bullying.

In 2023, she admitted she hadn’t spoken to her former friends and bandmates in years.

However, Nelson did share that she had made up with The X Factor creator and judge Simon Cowell, when he reached out after hearing about 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. We had a good long old chat and we actually spoke about his new Netflix show. I did watch it and I actually really enjoyed it,” she said, referring to his docuseries Simon Cowell: The Next Act.

SMA1, according to the NHS, causes muscle weakness, movement problems, problems with breathing and swallowing, muscle tremors, and bone and joint problems.

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Thirlwall and Edwards have both talked about the grief they were left with after Nelson’s departure, with the former telling Louis Theroux on his podcast, that she bore no ill feeling towards Nelson for her decision, but had struggled to process her abrupt departure.

“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 called the distance between them “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.

If you are experiencing feelings of distress and isolation, or are struggling to cope, The Samaritans offers support; you can speak to someone for free over the phone, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.

If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The Helpline is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

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