Jade Thirlwall has revealed she engages in a "daily battle" with herself not to take Ozempic weight loss medication following cruel social media comments about her appearance. The 32-year-old singer from South Shields opened up about her ongoing struggle despite being in the best health of her life.
The former Little Mix star has previously spoken openly about her years-long battle with eating disorders during her early twenties. She told The Guardian: "I have a daily battle with myself not to go on Ozempic. I don't judge people that do, but because I have a history of eating disorders, I don't know where taking something like that would end for me."
Thirlwall described being "stick-thin" during her Little Mix days due to her eating disorder. She said: "Now I'm in my 30s and the healthiest I've ever been, but every time I post a picture, there are comments saying, 'She must be pregnant.'"
Social media scrutiny
The pregnancy speculation particularly frustrates Thirlwall, who noted that the comments come predominantly from women. She explained: "The sad thing is that it's usually women. But people are used to seeing me in a group environment five or 10 years ago when I was stick-thin because I was in my early 20s with an eating disorder."
Thirlwall, who has been in a relationship with Rizzle Kicks member Jordan Stephens for five years, described the pregnancy rumours as "invasive". Her former Little Mix bandmates Perrie Edwards and Leigh-Anne Pinnock have both welcomed children, which has intensified public speculation about her family plans.
During an appearance on ITV's The Assembly, she revealed: "The thing that annoys me the most is 'Am I going to have children, am I pregnant?'. I find it weird that people ask that, as they don't know what my circumstances are. You don't know if someone can't have children, they don't want to or aren't ready yet."
Medical context
Ozempic is not licensed for weight loss purposes and should only be prescribed to people with diabetes to manage their condition. While some individuals use the medication to assist with weight reduction, this is not its intended use.
Little Mix legacy and solo success
Little Mix achieved remarkable commercial success, selling over 75 million records worldwide with five UK number ones and 16 Top 10 hits. The group became the first girl band to win The X Factor in 2011 before taking a break in 2021, with Jesy Nelson having departed in 2020.
Thirlwall launched her solo career last year with the chart-topping single "Angel of My Dreams", which won best song at this year's Brit Awards. She has performed at major festivals throughout 2024, including BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend, Capital's Summertime Ball, Glastonbury and BBC Proms.
During her emotional Glastonbury performance in June, Thirlwall paid tribute to her former bandmates. She said: "Firstly, shout out to Little Mix. I can't begin to explain how grateful I am to those girls for literally changing my life and who would have thought then that we would have a Little Mix girlie up here on the Glastonbury stage. But I can't lie, it feels good doing my own songs that I've written from my heart."
Sources used: "Chronicle Live", "Metro" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
