Frankie Bridge hails ‘brave’ Jesy Nelson for giving up dream career with Little Mix
The Saturdays singer Frankie Bridge spoke out to support Jesy, saying she was setting a good example to Little Mix fans after quitting in a bid to improve her mental health
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Frankie Bridge has praised “brave” Jesy Nelson for giving up her dream career a bid to improve her mental health, after the singer quit Little Mix.
Appearing on BBC One’s Morning Live on Tuesday, the former The Saturdays singer told Kym Marsh she was “really sad” to read Jesy’s announcement on Instagram.
She said: “I think they’ve had such a successful career and they’re obviously all really close. I feel like the girls clearly support her decision but it must have been really hard for them all and especially for Jesy to walk away from something she’s obviously always wanted.”
She praised Jesy, 29, for putting her health first. “I think it’s just really, really brave. So, I just hope that now the public and the press give her that time that she needs and that space.”
Kym’s co-host Gethin Jones agreed.
He said: “It must have been very difficult for her to say ‘I’m going to leave that’ because she’s putting her health in front of everything else.'”
Frankie, 31, who first found fame on S Club Search in 2001, said Jesy was setting a good example to her young fans.
She said: “To be brave enough to take that step is a really big thing.
“You know there’s probably lots of people before her that weren’t brave enough to do that so she’s setting a really good example to all the young fans that love Little Mix already, to say, look success is amazing but your health and wellbeing has to be at the forefront. I mean, I congratulate her for that really.”
On Monday night Jesy announced she would be leaving Little Mix after nine years together.
The girl group first found fame on The X Factor in 2011.
Jesy explained in her statement: “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, and I feel like now is the time to begin that process.
“So after much consideration and with a heavy heart, I’m announcing I’m leaving Little Mix.”
Jesy has been open about her mental health battles after being tormented by vicious trolls to such an extent that she tried to take her own life.
After being mercilessly trolled and fat shamed, the talented star told award-winning BBC3 documentary Odd One Out how she stopped eating and fell into a dark depression.
Jesy said she tried to kill herself in 2013 because she felt life had become too unbearable but was thankfully found by her then-boyfriend who called an ambulance.
She told the programme: “I just remember thinking this is never going to go. I’m going to constantly wake up and feel sad for the rest of my life. So what is the point in being here? I physically couldn’t tolerate the pain any more.”
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