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Jesy Nelson Just Spoke about Her Body Image Comparison Struggles While in Little Mix

Former Little Mix member Jesy Nelson has further opened up about her body image insecurities whilst in the band, while speaking on Fearne Cotton's podcast, Happy Place.

Jesy, who is currently teasing her debut single release (a collab with Nicki Minaj, no less!), got incredibly candid about how she used to compare herself and her body to her fellow band members, Perrie Edwards, Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Jade Thirlwall.

Speaking candidly, Jesy said that since leaving the band (a decision she made for the benefit of her mental health), she sadly does still have some of those insecurities, but to a lesser extent. 'I'll never sit and lie and be like "Oh, I'm so happy now, I don't have any insecurities!" as that's an absolute lie. I still have my insecurities, I still have my struggles...'

However, the entertainer added that she has seen some improvement with her confidence, 'I guess the thing that I'm better with now is that I see little things now when I do a music video, I'm not looking on the camera and thinking, "Oh my God, I don't look as skinny as Jade, Anne and Perrie..." '

Photo credit: Karwai Tang - Getty Images
Photo credit: Karwai Tang - Getty Images

Speaking further about her experience of being in a girl group, Jesy shared that she was conscious that her insecurities were difficult for Perrie, Leigh-Anne and Jade too, and that filming her new solo video was a very different experience.

'That's what I did every single day, and for the first time ever, I did my music video and I enjoyed it. I absolutely loved it and I was like, this is the feeling I should have had the whole time,' Jesy said honestly. 'And some people were not supportive of that, and some people are and I'm okay with that. Also, it wasn't nice for Jade, Leigh-Anne and Perrie to be around when I was so down, they were living their dream and I wasn't.'

'I felt very miserable and trapped and I knew that, that wasn't right.'

We applaud Jesy's candour and for using her platform to speak about her body image struggles so openly, which, according to statistics from the Mental Health Foundation, is something that affects so many – just over one third of adults have reported feeling anxious or depressed about the way they look in the past.

Having somebody as respected and powerful as Jesy sharing that she too has battled similar insecurities can only be a positive step in helping others feel that they aren't alone, and hopefully inspiring them to speak to a trusted professional, friends or family for help in their own lives.

Jesy's first ever solo single, BOYZ, is due to drop this Friday at 6pm.

Beat is the UK's leading charity dedicated to helping people with eating disorders. If you or someone you know is struggling and want to seek help, call their helpline on 0808 801 0677 or visit their website for more details.

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