Jade Thirlwall has been supported by her former bandmates from Little Mix as she surprised crowds by playing the opening act slot on Chappell Roan’s UK tour
This week Jade Thirlwall reached a new milestone in her music career, and a former Little Mix bandmate has come out in full support of the pop star.
The 32-year-old singer took to Instagram to share her excitement about serving as the opening act for rising pop sensation Chappell Roan, calling the experience nothing short of “magical”.
She wrote: “Opening for Chappell Roan was so magical. The best crowd, the most fun and a little nip slip from me. That’s Showbiz Baby! My bestie messaged and reminded me that we literally manifested this moment 2 years ago. Thank you @chappellroan for inviting me to join you and for being so lovely. Left the shows feeling so inspired.”
One of the messages of support she received under her post was from former Little Mix bandmate Leigh-Anne Pinnock, who proudly commented: “You did that.”
Jade also shared footage of her performance in Scotland earlier this week, captioning the video: “Edinburgh, I have no words.”
While her career is on the rise, Jade has been open about the pressures that come with being in the spotlight. Recently, she revealed she faces a “daily battle” not to use weight-loss drug Ozempic, admitting that social media scrutiny about her body often stirs up painful memories of her past eating disorders.
“I have a daily battle with myself not to go on Ozempic,” she told The Guardian. “I don’t judge people that do, but because I have a history of eating disorders, I don’t know where taking something like that would end for me.”
Despite being the “healthiest I’ve ever been”, Jade said she still receives comments speculating on whether she is pregnant, which she finds invasive.
Jade rose to fame in 2011 when Little Mix became the first girl group to win The X Factor. The group was one of the most successful UK acts in the history of the show, but the band eventually went on hiatus in 2021.
Since then, Jade has launched her own solo career, winning Best Song at this year’s Brit Awards for Angel of My Dreams. She has already performed at Glastonbury, BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend, Capital’s Summertime Ball and BBC Proms.
When she was asked about her time in Little Mix recently, Jade spoke about the difficulties she faced at the beginning of her music career, saying: “Being in a girl band is the ultimate boot camp on how to survive the music industry. First off, you’re a woman, and then you’re in a girl band, and it’s always hard to prove to people that you’re a credible artist and that you’re worthy of appreciation. When we first started in like 2011 — especially coming from a show like The X Factor — we were constantly proving to people why we deserved a seat at the table and why we deserved longevity.
“Being in Little Mix really was the ultimate test of enduring that. Time and time again, we reinvented ourselves and to be in a girl band that lasts for over 10 years is pretty remarkable. You don’t hear of that often.”
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