Little Mix have announced that they are to continue as a trio following Jesy Nelson’s decision to leave the group.

In a statement, Perrie Edwards, Jade Thirlwall and Leigh-Anne Pinnock said they are “sad” to see Jesy depart from the group, but are fully supportive of her decision.

It comes as Little Mix continue to promote their sixth studio album Confetti and plan to embark on a headline tour next summer.

“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,” a statement reads.

“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. 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.”

In a statement on her own social media, Jesy said that being in the band has “taken a toll on [her] mental health,” which informed her decision to leave.

“There comes a time in life when we need to reinvest in taking care of ourselves rather than focussing on making other people happy, and I feel like now is the time to begin that process,” she said.

“I need to spend some time with the people I love, doing things that make me happy.”

Jesy concluded by thanking the fans and added that she hopes the remaining members of Little Mix “keep on making music that people love”.

Jesy missed key Little Mix promotional appearances at the start of November, pulling out of a hosting and performance duties at the MTV EMAs and featuring on the live final of their BBC One talent show, Little Mix: The Search.

The band have continued to perform as a trio and are currently enjoying chart success with their hit single Sweet Melody.

Little Mix fist came together as a foursome on The X Factor back in 2011 before going on to win the series under the mentorship of Tulisa Contostavlos.

They were the first group to win the UK version of The X Factor, and have since sold over 50 million records worldwide.

Little Mix’s 2021 tour of the UK and Ireland will start in Dublin on 28 April, 2021 and conclude in Manchester on 29 May, 2021.

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