Little Mix’s Perrie Edwards reveals how the new album acted as a form of counselling ahead of new book launch
THEY are the hottest girlband of the moment.
In 2011, they became the first group to win The X Factor and since then, Little Mix have won millions of fans, had three platinum albums and nine top ten singles. Oh, and they’ve even cracked America.
But despite enjoying a lifestyle that most people can only dream of, Perrie Edwards, 23, Jesy Nelson, 25, Jade Thirlwell, 23, and Leigh-Anne Pinnock, 25, are proud of remaining firmly down-to-earth.
The girls’ latest book, Our World, is a behind-the-scenes look into their personal lives and success to date.
In it they speak candidly about their childhoods, troubles that they encountered at school and their roller coaster love lives.
The result is an honest and thoroughly enjoyable read.
Perrie tells SFTW: “We all really enjoyed the writing process.
“It was like having a counselling session as we spent time with the writer who asked us all kinds of questions about our lives to date.
"We all got quite emotional at times — trying to condense the last five years was especially hard.”
The tough times, of course, include Perrie’s then-boyfriend Zayn Malik infamously ditching her by text message last year.
Perrie admits the end of her relationship with the ex-One Direction star was “the worst time of my life”.
She explains: “A four-year relationship and two-year engagement ended by a simple text message. Just like that. Even though things in my career were going really well, it was incredibly difficult for me.”
Meanwhile Jade, who became anorexic at age 13, speaks candidly about battling the eating disorder.
She says: “The last five years have been incredible. There have been so many things that we’d forgotten had happened so it was really nice to remember them again.
“But we also wanted to show the world that we’ve had problems, just like the next person.” All four members of the band are big readers, with Jade particularly keen to talk books.
She says: “I’ve always got a book on the go. I really like anything by Jo Nesbo.
“When we went to Australia, we had our own book club on the plane.
“We all read Girl In The Cellar: The Natascha Kampusch Story by Allan Hall and Michael Leidig, so we could all chat about it when we landed.
“It was so nice to read the same book at the same time.”
Jade, Jesy and Leigh-Anne also adore Jacqueline Wilson and agree that her 2007 book Lola Rose was their favourite read as teenagers.
Insisting that the group have not raked in as much money as people might think they have, Jade says: “If I’m ever rich enough, I’d love to have a library.”
— Little Mix: Our World is out now for £16.99, published by Penguin