Former X Factor star Jesy Nelson has opened up about her battle with body positivity and admitted she once hated herself for being “the fat one from Little Mix”.
The singer, 28, shared a heartfelt message for fans on social media and revealed how comments from cruel trolls left her feeling “embarrassed and scared”.
Jesy shared a snap of herself from Little Mix’s early years on Instagram and captioned the pic: “Six months ago this girl was someone I just wanted to forget.
“I wanted to erase her from my mind and everyone else’s memory. I didn’t see her as Jesy, I saw her as ‘the fat one from Little Mix’. Up until now, I hated her not because she’d ever done anything bad but because I was made to hate her by endless amounts of trolling.”
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Earlier this year, the star announced plans to take part in a documentary on mental health for the BBC, telling fans at the time that it’s a topic very close to her heart.
Explaining how making the programme changed her mindset, she continued: “Since filming my documentary for @bbcone and @bbcthree, I’ve learned so much more than I ever expected to. Thanks to all the inspirational people I’ve met on this emotional journey, I now love the girl in this photo.
“I’ve made this documentary for 2011 Jesy and for anyone who might be feeling like she did.”
Writing further, Jesy urged any fans feeling the same way to find someone to talk to.
She continued: “I refused to speak about how I was feeling for so long. I was embarrassed and scared to. But I was so wrong to feel that way. Please if you are feeling how I did, SPEAK ABOUT IT. Talk to your family, speak to your friends, there’s always help out there.
“If you’d have told that girl one day you won’t feel sad anymore, I’d never have believed you… and here I am. Now when I look in the mirror, I don’t see Jesy the fat one, I see Jesy the happy one!”
Jesy, who is dating Love Island 2017 star Chris Hughes, confirmed her participation in the upcoming documentary back in March – just days after the tragic death of reality star Mike Thalassitis.
Speaking at the time, she said she felt passionate about the project because she wants to “make a change to other people’s lives” and insisted that the country should be discussing mental health more openly.
She wrote on Instagram: “Mental health awareness is something we should all be talking about more. Having suffered myself I decided I want to do something about it.”
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Her programme will reportedly explore the effect social media has on mental health and body image.
The singer has been subjected to criticism over her appearance since finding fame with her fellow Little Mix bandmates on the 2011 series of The X Factor.
Jesy admitted on the show at the time that comments about her looks made her feel “rubbish”.
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