Perrie Edwards opens up about Jesy Nelson fallout, calling it like 'losing a limb' as she promotes solo work

Perrie Edwards has opened up about the rift with former Little Mix bandmate Jesy Nelson, saying the breakdown of their friendship felt like losing a limb. In a new interview ahead of the release of her debut solo album, set for September 26, Edwards described the end of their close, daily partnership as something she struggled to come to terms with. The singer, 32, discussed the emotional toll of the split in a Glamour UK interview, revealing that one track on the forthcoming record, Same Place, Different View, drew on the experience. Edwards said the song documents a friendship she once had but no longer has, underscoring that while the group’s dynamic produced some of the biggest moments of her career, the dissolution of the bond was intensely painful. This admission comes years after Nelson left Little Mix in December 2020, citing the constant pressure of being in a girl group and the toll it took on her mental health.

Edwards has previously spoken about the friendship breakdown in other contexts, including Fearne Cotton’s Happy Place podcast, where she noted that she channelled the experience into music and asked whether it’s possible to repair fragile ties or if distance is inevitable. In that interview, she described the heartbreak of losing someone who had been a constant presence in her life and acknowledged that discussing friendship breakups is not easy. The sentiment echoed what she told Cosmopolitan UK last year, when she confirmed that she and Nelson had not spoken for a long time and that the situation remained profoundly sad.

The arc of the friendship’s collapse predates Edwards’s solo era. Nelson’s departure from Little Mix in December 2020 came after nine years in the group, with the artist stating that focusing on her happiness and mental health required stepping away from the band. The decision followed an Instagram post in which Nelson explained that living up to expectations and the pressure of fame had taken a toll on her wellbeing. The public dynamic of Little Mix—comprising Edwards, Nelson, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, and Jade Thirlwall—was marked by immense success, including chart-topping records and a string of sold-out shows. Nelson later pursued a solo career with tracks such as Boyz, Bad Thing, and Mine before stepping back from the spotlight for periods of time.

Beyond the contemporary fallout, the public-facing story of Nelson also includes her documentary Odd One Out, which aired on the BBC in 2019. The documentary charted her experiences with cyberbullying and mental health, and it highlighted the broader pressures of fame on a young artist. The program resonated with many viewers and earned recognition at the National Television Awards in 2020, underscoring how personal challenges intersect with broader conversations about online abuse and well-being. For her part, Edwards has continued to build her own artistic path while navigating a different kind of spotlight as a solo artist.

As Edwards’s solo project advances, the singer has chosen to reflect on a period of intense closeness and eventual estrangement that helped shape her perspective on fame, friendship, and personal well-being. While the two women moved on in different directions, the intensity of their shared history remains part of the public narrative surrounding Little Mix and its members. Edwards’s remarks illuminate a backstage truth of pop stardom: that the most meaningful relationships can become the hardest to sustain under the pressures of collaboration, constant attention, and personal growth. With the new music arriving this autumn, fans will be watching to see how the experiences of friendship and heartbreak inform her next chapter.