Jade Thirlwall has opened up about her ongoing struggles with body image, admitting she faces a “daily battle” not to turn to Ozempic after years of living with eating disorder.
The former Little Mix star, 32, said despite being the “healthiest [she’s] ever been” online scrutiny around her weight continues to fuel harmful thoughts.
She shared: “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, who rose to fame on The X Factor in 2011, said trolling has intensified since stepping out as a solo artist.
“Little Mix fans were all about empowerment and celebrating your body however you look. 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’,” she told the Guardian.
“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.”
The singer revealed her struggles with food began as a teenager following the death of her grandfather, which led to anorexia.
By the time she auditioned for The X Factor, she had only just been discharged from hospital, something she now said should have stopped her competing.
Despite her fragile state, she went on to find global success with Little Mix, alongside Perrie Edwards, Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Jesy Nelson.
The group became the first girl group to win a Brit Award for Best British Group.
But Thirlwall admitted the pressures of fame took a toll, saying she now recognises in old photos that she was “very, very thin.”
“Historically, if I’ve ever felt that something is out of my control, then restricting food has been a means of controlling my life in a very toxic way,” she told the outlet.
Thirlwall is now preparing to release her debut solo album, That's Showbiz Baby, and is set to support Chappell Roan at the Royal Highlands Showgrounds in Edinburgh.
