Little Mix have shared their first official snap as a trio, after Jesy Nelson announced her decision to quit the band.
The 29-year-old confirmed her departure from Little Mix last week, as she admitted being in the band was taking a toll on her mental health.
Perrie Edwards, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, and Jade Thirlwall have since posted their first photo as a threesome on Instagram.
The photo shows the bandmates smiling as they posed in matching Christmas jumpers.
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They captioned the post: “Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays Mixers. We hope you have the most magical day xx.”
In the comment section, fans noted the significance of their first photo without Jesy.
One fan wrote: “It’s the first picture they’ve posted since she left so I’m starting to cry.”
Another wrote: “My heart cracked a bit but I’ll forever and always support my girls.”
Jesy announced her departure from Little Mix on December 14th by posting a statement on social media.
The 29-year-old wrote: “To all my Mixers, the past nine years in Little Mix has been the most incredible time of my life. We have achieved things I never thought possible. From winning our first Brit Award to our sold out shows at the O2.”
“Making friends and fans all over the world I can’t thank you all enough from the bottom of my heart for making me feel like the luckiest girl in the world. You have always been there to support and encourage me and I will never ever forget it.”
“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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“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 added: “I need to spend some time with the people I love, doing things that make me happy. I’m ready to embark on a new chapter in my life – I’m not sure what it’s going to look like right now, but I hope you’ll still be there to support.”
“I want to say thank you to everyone involved in our journey. All the hard work and dedication that went into making us a success.”
“To every single fan who came to see us in concert, who listened to our songs and sung their hearts out, sent me messages and supported me along the way I want you to know I love you all so much and I could never have done this without you and I appreciate it endlessly.”
“Most of all I want to say thank you to Jade, Perrie and Leigh-Anne for creating some of the most amazing memories I’ll never forget. I hope that you’ll continue to fulfil all of your dreams and keep on making music that people love. Love Jesy x.”
Meanwhile, a joint statement from Perrie, Leigh-Anne and Jade read: “After an amazing 9 years together Jesy has made the decision to leave Little Mix.”
“This is an incredibly sad time for all of us but we are fully supportive of Jesy. We love her very much and agree that it is so important that she does what is right for her mental health and well-being.”
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“We are still very much enjoying our Little Mix journey and the 3 of us are not ready for it to be over.
“We know that Jesy leaving the group is going to be really upsetting news for our fans. We love you guys so much and are so grateful for your loyalty and continued support of all of us.
“We’re looking forward to seeing so many of you on tour. Love always, Jade, Perrie and Leigh-Anne xxx.”
