Image Source: Getty / Samir Hussein [1]

On 14 Dec., one of our favourite girl groups, Little Mix, announced that band member Jesy Nelson has officially decided to leave the group. News of Nelson's departure comes after she was unable to host the 2020 European Music Awards [2] this year as well as missing the finale of Little Mix: The Search, before finally announcing she would be taking a temporary break from the band [3].

"After an amazing 9 years together Jesy has made the decision to leave Little Mix," the remaining three members said in a statement posted to the Little Mix Instagram feed [4]. "This is an incredibly sad time for all of us but we are fully supportive of Jesy. 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. Love always, Jade, Perrie and Leigh-Anne xxx."

Nelson also released a statement, posting a letter onto her Instagram feed. "The past nine years in Little Mix has been the most incredible time of my life," she wrote. "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 the expectations very hard … So after much consideration and with a heavy heart, I'm announcing I'm leaving Little Mix," she continued. You can read her statement in full below.

It's clear that Nelson will have all the support in the world from her Little Mix band members, and in the meantime, we hope she's doing well.