Perrie Edwards says she still cries over Jesy Nelson leaving Little Mix five years on

Scottish Sun

17-05-2025

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PERRIE Edwards has revealed how she still cries over Jesy Nelson leaving Little Mix - five years on.
The former best friends are no longer on speaking terms after Jesy sensationally quit the girlband in 2020.
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Perrie Edwards has opened up about Jesy leaving Little Mix
Credit: bbc
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Perrie and Jesy were once best friends, but now no longer speak
Credit: Splash News
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Little Mix's Jesy, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Perrie and Jade Thirlwall before split
Credit: Getty
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Perrie opened up to Alison Hammond on her new show
Credit: bbc
Perrie, 31, has now admitted she has "grieved" for her friendship with Jesy, 33, being over.
The pair became firm friends after they met on The X Factor in 2011 and formed Little Mix.
Perrie has now revealed the pain she still feels at no longer speaking to Jesy.
Speaking to Alison Hammond on her new BBC show, Big Weekend, the singer sadly said: "We talk about it a lot, but I think in the moment we did everything we could, so some things just happen.
"Yeah. It is really sad."
Asked by Alison if she still speaks to Jesy, Perrie said: "We don't speak any more, no.
"We haven't spoke since she left."
Speaking about the pain she still feels at the friendship with Jesy being over, the star said: "I wrote a song about it.
"Every time I listen to it, I cry.
"I think losing a friend in that same dynamic or in that same world is just as bad, if not worse, than losing (a partner).
Perrie Edwards admits suffering 'dagger to the heart' over Jesy Nelson rejection as she breaks down in tears over Little Mix friendship
Alison then said: "It's like a love story because you loved her?"
"Yeah, absolutely. And then they're gone and it's like, ugh!" Perrie replied.
SHOCK EXIT
Little Mix stars Perrie, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, 33, and Jade Thirlwall, 32, no longer speak to Jesy after she abruptly quit the band in December 2020.
At the time she revealed that the nine years in the band had taken "a toll on her mental health".
Jesy initially said she was taking an extended break from the band, but just a month later, she left the group for good.
She said at the time: "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."
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Jesy no longer speaks to her Little Mix bandmates
Credit: Instagram
Jesy later told Cosmopolitan that anxiety over her weight brought her to breaking point.
She said: 'There's a scene in Sweet Melody I'm not in, because that's when I had a panic attack and broke down. I was like,"I just want to go home."
'I was sobbing in the dressing room. Someone really close to me said, "This has got to stop. You can't keep doing this to yourself."
PERRIE'S TEARS
This isn't the first time Perrie has talked about the upset she faced, after Jesy walked away from Little Mix
Speaking on the Happy Place podcast in October, the mum-of-one spoke out about trying to "rectify things" with her former friend.
"I wrote a song about a friendship I had that I no longer have," Perrie told host Fearne Cotton.
"When you've been in that person's life for years and they've had your back, you've been through highs, lows and everything, all these experiences, it's a wild ride but you've gone through it together - then poof they're gone - that's hard to deal with.
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Perrie previously broke down in tears on the Happy Place podcast
Credit: YOUTUBE
"I struggled a lot with that. It's really sad, but at the same time these things sometimes happen.
"It does make you think 'do we try to rectify the situation? Should I reach out? It doesn't feel like I should, it feels like I should just stay away.'
"It's a really horrible dynamic to be in."
Perrie added: "When you try and then it doesn't get taken well either... it's like another..."
Perrie broke off and imitated being stabbed in the heart.
She continued: "You think, 'well I tried, they don't want it. You can't force someone to be friends with you.'
"It's really hard."
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Perrie and met Jesy on The X Factor in 2011
Credit: Rex
FEELING 'TRAUMATISED'
Leigh-Anne previously said Jesy's abrupt exit from the band in December 2020 left her, Perrie and Jade 'traumatised' and needing counselling.
At the time, Jesy cited battles with her mental health and struggles with the pressures of fame as her reason for leaving.
She said: '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 in life when we need to reinvest in taking care of ourselves rather than focusing on making other people happy.'