Little Mix admit they did’t expect fame ‘to be this hard’ and address the future of the band

Little Mix dancing in black outfits against a neon light

Little Mix discussed the perils of fame in their first interview since it was announced Jesy Nelson would be taking time off.

After the band confirmed on Tuesday (17 November) that Jesy is having “extended break” for “private medical reasons”, the three remaining members filmed an interview for The Jonathan Ross Show.

Perrie Edwards admitted that life as a pop star isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, saying: “I don’t think we expected it to be this hard.”

“When you’re young and you think of being a pop star, you think, ‘Oh I want everyone to love me and ask for my autograph’. Then you get thrown into it and you’re like, ‘Holy s**t balls, it’s a lot’.

“We don’t rest, we don’t sleep. But we love success so we’re willing to work for it and it’s been an amazing 10 years.

The band are coming up to the ninth anniversary of their X Factor win, and will be continuing as a trio for the foreseeable future.

The four members of Little Mix standing on a London street


Little Mix as a four-piece back in September. (Getty)

Leigh-Anne Pinnock added: “People don’t see how hard it is, the things that go on behind the scenes.

“People don’t understand the pressure.”

Jade Thirlwall chimed: “People sometimes see pop stars and think, ‘Oh it is glam and glitz’, but really it’s hard.”

She said that despite it all, the “beauty of being in a band” is that each supports the other.

“We’ve got each other,” she said.

“We just stay grounded with our friends and family.

“When we get time off we go straight home and see the family.

“Our mams would be the first to tell us off if we were getting a bit big headed,” she added.

The interview will air Saturday (21 November).

Little Mix fans send Jesy Nelson well wishes.

Since Tuesday’s announcement, fans have sent Jesy an outpouring of love and get well soon messages.

Though her bandmates haven’t directly addressed Jesy’s temporary departure, with a statement asking for privacy, Jade reassured fans they are going nowhere in a separate interview this week.

“You know, eventually in the future we might go off and do our own bits and bobs – but Little Mix will literally never die,” she told Australia’s Ash London.

“We’ve always said that – we’re like, we always need Little Mix.”