Jesy Nelson discusses body positivity after viewing herself as ‘the fat one’ in Little Mix
Singer describes herself as being ‘happy’ after years of self-loathing
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Your support makes all the difference.Little Mix singer Jesy Nelson has opened up about body positivity after years of viewing herself as “the fat one" in the music group.
Earlier this year, the singer revealed that she would be opening up about her struggles with mental health in a new BBC Three documentary.
The documentary, which is titled Jesy Nelson: My Story and is yet to be given a release date, will explore how social media trolling and body-shaming comments the performer received online took an emotional and psychological toll on the 27-year-old musician.
On Tuesday, the singer posted a photograph of herself on Instagram and opened about how she “hated” herself as a result of the abuse she has received online since joining the band in 2011.
“Six months ago this girl was someone I just wanted to forget,” she captioned the image, adding that she wanted to erase herself from the public’s mind.
“I didn’t see her as Jesy I saw her as ‘the fat one from Little Mix’,” the singer continued. “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.”
The star, who has over 5.4m Instagram followers, explained that working on her documentary has helped her learn self-acceptance.
“I refused to speak about how I was feeling for so long,” Nelson added. “I was embarrassed and scared to. But I was so wrong to feel that way.”
The “Hair” singer continued, urging her followers to talk openly about feelings of self-doubt, emphasising that “there’s always help out there”.
Concluding her post, Nelson wrote: “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!”
Several of the singer’s followers have commented on the post to praise Nelson for her honesty.
Little Mix singer Jade Thirlwall commented on the post: “I can’t wait for the world to see your journey.
“So, SO proud of you and how far you have come. I love you so much and more importantly, I love how much you have grown to love YOU [sic].”
Another wrote: “Jessyyyy this documentary is going to help so many people [sic].”
“You are an amazing role model for young girls,” added another.
Earlier this year, Nelson described her documentary was a project “close” to her heart.
“I’m delighted to be working with the BBC on a documentary that will both challenge me personally and also highlight a hugely important issue affecting young people today,” she explained.
Fiona Campbell, controller of BBC Three, added that the singer was an apt choice to front a documentary on mental health issues given her prominent profile in the media and the public eye.
“As a young female in a successful girl band where intense scrutiny from the public is the norm, Jesy offers a unique perspective on the impact social media can have on an individual and their mental health,” Campbell stated.
“It promises to be an eye-opening watch, full of universal themes which will no doubt resonate with our audience.”
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