LITTLE Mix have shared their first picture as a trio after Jesy Nelson quit the band.
The 29-year-old star shocked fans last week when she announced that she was leaving the girl group after nine years due to the “toll” being in the band had taken on her mental health.
The remaining three members of the band – Perrie Edwards, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, and Jade Thirlwall – hug each other and smile in the sweet snap shared on Instagram alongside a Christmas message.
“Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays Mixers,” they commented.
“We hope you have the most magical day xx.”
Earlier this week fellow X Factor winners Rak-Su claimed quitting Little Mix could have “saved her life”.
The beauty shot to fame after Little Mix were formed on the 2011 series of The X Factor, which they went on to win.
And the 2017 champs, Rak-Su, have praised her decision – insisting that the “pressure” can be “difficult” for anybody.
Myles Stephenson explained: “We all know that she’s gone through drama with people, obviously trolling and social media so I think she made a very smart decision and that decision could have potentially saved her life.
“We don’t know if she had stayed in the group and continued to receive the social media trolling that she used to get, who knows what could have happened.”
The boys know all too well about the struggle, with bandmate Mustafa Rahimtulla recently returning to Egypt to spend time with his mum – his future in the band up in the air.
Myles continued to Metro: “It’s the same situation with Mustafa when he used to get trolled as well.
“How long can people take it? You know whether you’re a confident person or you’re not so confident person, everybody has a breaking point, people just need to find out what it is.”
Jesy has been praised by devastated fans for doing what is best for her mental health after she announced her shock decision to quit.
She explained in the 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.
“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 me.”
And while fans were understandably devastated by her decision, they insisted that it was the right call as they praised the brave star for putting her mental wellbeing first.
Jesy has been open about her mental health battle over the years, bravely sharing the devastating impact years of online trolling had in her BBC documentary Odd One Out.
In the film, which won a National Television Award, Jesy spoke candidly about her struggle in Little Mix – revealing how she would starve herself for days during the deepest times in her depression, due to constant trolling about her weight and looks.
Discussing the impact it had on her, she shared: “I just wanted to be Jesy. I didn’t want to be Jesy the fat one.
“I wanted people to see me as normal, so I punished myself. I starved myself.”
The star’s Little Mix bandmates also released a statement sharing their support of her decision to leave, also confirming that their 2021 tour will go ahead as scheduled.
In November, a Little Mix rep confirmed that Jesy was taking “extended time off” for “private medical reasons”.
They said at the time: “Jesy is having extended time off from Little Mix for private medical reasons.
“We will not be issuing any further comment currently and ask media to please respect her privacy at this time.”
It came two weeks after she missed the grand finale of the band’s TV talent show The Search, as well as their high-profile stint hosting the MTV EMAs.
