Jade Thirlwall shares the first snap of Little Mix WITHOUT Jesy Nelson

Jesy Nelson has recently announced that she is taking ‘an extended break’ from Little Mix.

And Jade Thirlwall has shared the first snap of the band without the singer, 29, ahead of their appearance on The Jonathan Ross Show on Saturday night.

The singer, 27, took to Instagram to share a sultry picture of herself, Perrie Edwards and Leigh‑Anne Pinnock as they stood without their fourth bandmate.

The Little Mix trio donned co-ordinated all-black latex-look outfits as they posed up a storm ahead of their latest TV appearance.

Jade sported a flirty black bralet over the top of a mesh crop top as she gave a peace-out sign to the camera.

Meanwhile Perrie, 27, wore an edgy pleated skirt paired with a black cut-out bodysuit and long black gloves as she effortlessly ran her fingers through her blonde tresses.

And Leigh set pulses racing as she leaned against a clothes rail in a sexy latex-look crop top and matching low-cut trousers.

The band seemed confident before their appearance on the chat show, despite Jesy’s absence while she takes an ‘extended break’ from Little Mix.  

Writing alongside the snap, Jade penned: ‘The Jonathan Ross Show. Tonight 9.50pm’ 

Jesy was also absent from hosting 27th edition of one of the biggest nights in global music – the 2020 MTV EMAs – on November 8.

Their latest appearance comes after Jade shared a set of fiery snaps of herself in a vibrant orange gown on her Instagram on Friday as she prepared to step out on the Jonathan Ross Show.

The singer set pulses racing as she flaunted her toned physique in a glitzy orange sequin dress, while posing up a storm in the sultry pictures.

She wore her brunette tresses loosely draped over her shoulders and effortlessly ran her fingers through her lengthy locks as she struck a pose for the shot.

The Little Mix stunner let her figure-hugging statement gown do all the talking as she simply accessorised her attire with a small nose stud.

Jade opted for a full palette of bronzed make-up as she gazed seductively into the camera lens.

And another snap, shared to her Instagram stories, saw the music sensation opting for a more playful pose as she winked at the camera.

She was accompanied by her stylist Zack Tate, playfully writing alongside the snap: ‘hey @zacktate teehee’ (sic)

Earlier in the week, Jade weighed in on Little Mix’s future following the announcement that Jesy will be taking an ‘extended break’ from the band.

Jade dismissed claims that the band are splitting up but admitted they ‘might’ go and do their own projects at some point in the future.

She was quizzed by Hit network host Ash London on what the future holds for the hugely-successful band during an interview on Thursday.

Jade said: ‘You know, eventually in the future we might go off and do our own bits and bobs – but Little Mix will literally never die.

‘We’ve always said that – we’re like, we always need Little Mix. I think it’s nice that people are starting to do their own bits and bobs.’

‘I definitely want to travel more and see more fans all over the world.’

On Thursday, it was reported that Jesy revealed she ‘needed time off’ from the band just one week before announcing she was taking ‘an extended break’.

In an interview with the Mail On Sunday’s YOU magazine published on November 8, the singer said the group welcomed a break in lockdown as they were ‘never not with each other’ due to their busy schedules.

In the interview, Jesy told of how the band ‘needed’ some time apart because they are together all day, every day.

Since the first lockdown ended, the band have been busy promoting their sixth album Confetti and their BBC series The Search. 

Jesy said: ‘It was needed. We’re never not with each other and we’re always busy. Our mornings start early, we finish really late.’ 

Following the announcement The Sun reported that Jade, Perrie Edwards, 27, and Leigh-Anne Pinnock, 29, have each been plotting their future solo careers. 

They also claimed that Jesy planned to kick off her own solo career once she was feeling better.  

A source said: ‘The girls have been open and honest with each other, and with their current management team. 

‘They have started discussions with some prospective managers and agents about what their solo careers might look like.

‘Some of the girls might end up taking on solo projects with their current management team too. But this isn’t about ending the band, it’s about looking to the future.’

The source added that the group still have a tour to complete next April and will see it through, even if it is delayed due to Covid-19.  

The insider also said the ladies are trying to emulate Take That, where each member drifts out to work on their own projects but come back together at different times. 

They also claimed there is no ‘bad blood’ between the group and they are all supportive of each other’s wishes to go solo. 

On Wednesday, Jesy’s bandmate Jade took to Instagram to share a cryptic message following news of her break from the group.  

Taking to her Instagram Story in a now-deleted post, Jade shared a handwritten quote from her Rizzle Kicks boyfriend Jordan Stephens, 28. 

It read: ‘It rarely feels like it, but the pain eases. It fades. It flashes. It curls like the first bit of butter. Melts on the toast. Compliments the heaviness. 

‘… Tells you nasty stories. Reminds you of itself. Tricks you into not treating others like you wish you could. Tries to leave. Pretends to leave…  

‘The deepest cuts are the best ones on the album. They don’t ask for approval. Take longer to love. Pain’s a pallet cleanser. A ticket out of delusion.

‘It’s hard when you’re in it but we learn. We grow. It fades. It flashes.’

Jade captioned the post with a series of emojis, including a pen, one shooting star, and a blue heart. 

On Tuesday Little Mix’s representative announced Jesy would be taking an ‘extended break’ from the band due to ‘private medical reasons.’ 

A representative for the band said: ‘Jesy is having extended time off from Little Mix for private medical reasons. 

‘We will not be issuing any further comment currently and ask media to please respect her privacy at this time.’ 

Since then, heartbroken Little Mix fans have flooded social media with messages of support for Jesy, voicing their concern for her well-being. 

A large portion of Twitter users batted away any suggestions that the girls are pegged to break-up, while others branded Jesy ‘an inspiration’. 

Jesy’s break comes following great success for Little Mix, with both their brand new album ‘Confetti’ as well as their talent show Little Mix: The Search, which saw them put together a number of bands who competed against one another to win a place support the girl group on their UK and Ireland tour next year. 

Jesy has been a member of the girl band since their formation on The X Factor in 2011, alongside Perrie, Jade and Leigh-Anne. 

Two weeks ago Jesy was forced to pull out of the finals of Little Mix: The Search, after falling ill. 

The pop starlet was due to appear on the grand finale of the competition, but a statement released just hours before the live show revealed that she was unwell. 

She was also unable to host the MTV EMAs, or perform alongside her bandmates as planned.

A statement released to MailOnline read: ‘Jesy is unwell and will not be appearing on tonight’s final of Little Mix The Search. 

‘She will also not be hosting or performing at tomorrow’s MTV EMA’s.

The Little Mix girls had been due to host the 27th edition of one of the biggest nights in global music – the 2020 MTV EMAs – on November 8.

The band – who have been nominated for Best Pop, Best Group and Best Virtual Live, previously announced their gig on Instagram, saying ‘IT’S HAPPENING!

‘We are SO excited to announce that we’re going to be hosting the @mtvema’s on November 8th. This is gonna be so much fun!’

The rest of the band appeared without Jesy to decide the winner of the first series of their show.

Jesy last posted on her Instagram page on October 31 where she shared a snap of herself dressed up for Halloween. 

The media personality confirmed her romance with Our Girl actor boyfriend Sean Sagar, 30, after first being linked in July earlier this year.

Little Mix are slated to head on tour in April next year with their new album Confetti, but it is currently unclear whether Jesy plans to rejoin the group by then. 

It is also thought that the band’s dates may also be delayed depending on Covid-19 restrictions nearer the time the tour is due to kick off. 

Little Mix were crowned the winners of The X Factor in 2011 when they become the first band to ever win the show in its history.

The girls shot to stardom with their first single Wings, before topping the charts with Black Magic and Shout Out To My Ex.

They recently released their sixth studio album, Confetti, which includes current hit Sweet Melody.

They were signed to Simon Cowell’s record label Syco until November 2018 when they switched to rival label RCA. 

Leigh-Anne said at the time: ‘We were with Syco for seven years and had an incredible journey but it’s going to be nice to change it up.’ 

Elsewhere, Jesy has won praise for her groundbreaking TV documentary Odd One Out, which addressed her struggles with online bullying and body image.

Jesy left viewers in tears as she bravely spoke about her battle with depression in her BBC documentary.  

She talked in depth for the first time about how trolls, who mocked her over her looks and weight, triggered her into attempting to take her own life in 2013.

After the documentary aired, social media was awash with demands from fans to have the programme shown in schools to help educate youths. 

At the start of the show, Jesy’s mum Janice said: ‘I know it might seem strange to say but if I could have back my Jess as I had her before I would change it like that. 

‘I miss her. I just feel like I’ve lost Jess to social media and she’s addicted to what people are saying.’    

Jesy then described how trolling over her looks began on The X Factor, where they labelled her the ‘fat one’ in the band.   

The singer went onto tearfully reveal at the height of her bullying in 2013 that she starved herself for four days as she prepared to return to the show. 

‘When I had lost quite a bit of weight we were going back on the X Factor and I didn’t give a s**t about whether our performance would be good,’ she said. 

‘All I cared about was people seeing me and saying ‘she’s lost weight’.’ 

But Jesy was left heartbroken after she was inundated with taunts over her weight, saying her ‘face was deformed’ or comparing her looks to ET and Miss Piggy following the performance.

It was then, Jesy tried to commit suicide.

Breaking down in tears, Jesy said: ‘I just remember thinking, ‘I just need this to go away, I’m going to end this’.  

‘I remember going to the kitchen and just took as many tablets as I could. Then I laid in bed for ages and kept thinking, ‘Let it happen. Hurry up”.’

To try to heal the deep mental wounds inflicted by online bullies, the Wings hitmaker met with others who had experienced cyber bullying as well as receiving therapy.

During the therapy, Jesy watched a clip from the X Factor for the first time in a bid to help accept herself. 

‘I have shut away the old Jesy away for such a long time because I just felt like I needed to be this new Jesy because everyone hated the old Jesy. 

‘My trauma runs deep and I may not ever really recover properly. I don’t think I will be ever the same again but I do think I’m getting better.’ 

Discussing the impact the trolling had on her, Jesy told Glamour: ‘I just wanted to be Jesy. I didn’t want to be Jesy the fat one. I wanted people to see me as normal, so I punished myself. I starved myself.

‘If I did eat, I hated myself, I’d punish myself and make sure I didn’t eat for four days. It was horrible, a vicious circle.’

Jesy also confessed that the negative comments about her face hurt more than the fat jibes, admitting: ‘I got used to people calling me fat because I was like whatever I’ve seen it so much.  

‘People started going in on what my face looked like with memes and people would chop my head off in group photos and replace it with a monster or ET or a sloth.

‘I became a joke to everyone, and it really knocked my confidence. I never experienced anything like it in my life.’    

She went on to say that once the comments came rolling in, it became one of the ‘worst times’ of her life.   

She said that being labelled the ‘fat, ugly one’ completely ‘consumed every part of me’ as the trolling took its toll.  

Speaking further about reading comments about herself, Jesy revealed to the Guardian that at the time, she had become obsessed with reading the cruel taunts online.

‘I had a routine of waking up, going on Twitter, searching for the worst things I could about myself,’ she explained. ‘I’d type in the search bar: ‘Jesy fat’, or ‘Jesy ugly’, and see what would come up. 

‘Sometimes I didn’t even need to do that, I’d just write ‘Jesy’ and then I’d see all the horrible things. Everyone told me to ignore it – but it was like an addiction.’

In the interview, she went on to say that as Little Mix’s fame soared, the pressure for her to look good affected her health, causing her to starve herself.

Jesy said: ‘I’d starve myself… I’d drink Diet Coke for a solid four days and then, when I felt a bit dizzy, I’d eat a pack of ham because I knew it had no calories. Then I’d binge eat, then hate myself.’

The starlet went on to recall how she’d avoid events that she’s be photographed and dreaded photo shoots, adding that on one occasion where the stylist had bought the wrong sized clothes, caused her to have a tearful ‘meltdown.’

Jesy has long been candid about her experience with body shaming and trolling over the years, after being viciously targeted when she was a contestant on The X Factor 2011.

She memorably broke down during the competition as she discussed how hard it had been dealing with negative comments from complete strangers.

Speaking in the VT at the time, she said: ‘People are writing a few nasty comments and it has just got to me a little bit.

‘When you’ve got your own insecurities and then when people go and tell you and write them on websites for everyone to see it just makes you feel really rubbish.    

‘Being in a girl group with three beautiful girls who are a lot slimmer and smaller than me… and obviously I know I’m a lot bigger. I find it really hard when people publicise it on Twitter.’ 

The turning point came in February 2014 when, while on Devi Lovato’s tour where the band where a supporting act, Demi’s dancers advised her to delete Twitter, likening it to a book filled with ‘loads of nasty things’.  

Little Mix have since gone on to become one of the biggest ever girl group’s in the UK, scoring number one hits including Wings, Black Magic and Shout Out To My Ex. 

For confidential 24/7 support in the UK, call Samaritans on 116 123 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see www.samaritans.org for details.