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Jade Thirlwall fires back at Noel Gallagher over Little Mix insult: ‘He’s not even the most successful performer in his family’

Oasis star made dismissive comments about the girl group after they made history at the Brit Awards

Roisin O'Connor
Friday 17 September 2021 12:18 BST
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Little Mix make history at BRIT Awards

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Jade Thirlwall issued a brilliant retort to Noel Gallagher’s attacks on her band, Little Mix, in the first episode of the newly launched Never Mind the Buzzcocks.

Little Mix made history earlier this year as the first girl group in history to take home the Brit Award for Best British Group.

Their win was celebrated by many of their fellow artists, particularly due to their empowering speech that name-checked the groups – from Spice Girls to the Sugababes– who had paved the way for them.

However, Noel Gallagher was less impressed and told The Sun in June: “Little Mix, with the greatest respect, are not in the same league as Oasis. Not even in the same f***ing sport.”

“It’s a symptom of the music business chasing the numbers – and there not being any bands or songwriters in those bands,” he continued.

“Record company guys constantly say, ‘Oh these guys are the real deal.’ And I think, ‘You wouldn’t know the real deal if it bit you on the f***ing arse, mate.”

In a preview on the Radio Times podcast, Thirlwall was heard responding during the launch episode of Never Mind the Buzzcocks.

“[Noel said] something about that we were undeserving of the Brit Award because we’re women and don’t... well, we do write music, but he thinks we don’t write music,” she said.

“Yeah, shame really. Because you know, we are definitely the most successful girl group in the country, but he’s not even the most successful performer in his family.”

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Gallagher himself recently admitted that his younger brother and former bandmate, Liam, is enjoying a more successful solo career than him.

“He’s doing massive gigs, he’s selling more records than I am, and he’s selling more tickets than I am, if you can believe that,” he told Chris Evans’s How to Wow podcast.

Little Mix recently announced a surprise new album, Between Us, due for release on 12 November.

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