Jade Thirlwall reveals Little Mix needed therapy after winning The X Factor
She says they have all ‘suffered in some way’.
Little Mix picked up the Change Makers award at the British LGBT Awards last night. And Jade took the chance to open up about how the band struggled with mental health issues after they won The X Factor in 2011, suggesting that ITV could do more to look after reality stars.
‘We were only 18 or 19 when we got thrown into the industry and it is a lot to handle,’ she told The Sun Online. ‘Maybe there could have been a bit more in place for mental health.’
‘We all have suffered in some way,’ she went on. ‘As four young women getting thrust into the industry, having everyone talking about how you look, just the press suddenly being in this industry was a lot for all of us.’
Jade revealed that the band turned to one another for support, before seeking professional help. ‘We’ve all gone through moments with our mental health,’ she confessed. ‘Whether it’s talking to someone, getting therapy. Now we are fully grown women, we are more confident to speak about mental health, which is really important.’
Jade’s bandmate Perrie Edwards recently revealed that she struggled with severe anxiety and panic attacks, which had threatened her relationship with boyfriend Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. ‘I still can’t get the train on my own,’ she admitted. ‘It freaks me out and makes me feel really claustrophobic.’
Fellow Little Mixer Leigh-Anne Pinnock opened up about dealing with racial abuse from trolls on Friday’s episode of Lorraine, admitting: ‘It’s horrible. Especially having to deal with it in the public eye.’
And Jesy Nelson is busy working on a documentary about mental health and body image. The popstar has gone through years of trolling and body-shaming on social media, which started when she was a contestant on The X Factor.
‘Mental health awareness is something we should all be talking about more,’ she says.
Hear, hear.
