Little Mix star Jade Thirlwall has said she and Leigh-Anne Pinnock both wanted cosmetic surgery after their images were heavily edited to look ‘as white as possible’ in their early days in the band.
The singer, 28, appeared in Leigh-Anne’s new BBC documentary, Race, Pop and Power, which was released on Thursday.
During a conversation about the lack of diversity in the music industry, Jade said they both wanted to get nose jobs after the photoshoot - their first official one as a band - as the images suggested to them they had to “look white” to be “beautiful.”
She said: “I remember for ages we both wanted nose jobs, which is f*****g insane now.
“It’s so ridiculous but that stemmed from our first ever magazine shoot. There I was, with my whole face completely Photoshopped, my nose had changed and from that moment, I thought ‘oh my god, to be beautiful and glamorous you have to uphold this image of basically looking as white as possible’.”
The singer said she had hid her Yemini heritage during her time in the public eye as she “knew being white meant you had an easier ride.”
She said: “I thought ‘if you see me as white, I’m not going to stand and scream in your face that I’m not’. I know there’s privilege that comes with that.”
Newcastle-born Jade’s grandfather was from Yemin. Her grandmother was Egyptian.
Leigh-Anne has now launched a foundation to fund internships and mentor schemes for black people of all ages entering the creative industries.
She said: “I don’t want the next girl in pop to feel like how I’ve felt. This is just the beginning. I’m a fighter.”
The documentary comes just days after the group made history and became the first girl group to take home the best British band Brit Award.
The band thanked former member Jesy Nelson as they accepted the award while dedicating the gong to groups such as the Spice Girls who paved the way.
Edwards said: “Guys, we’ve just made history! I’m emotional.”
Pinnock added: “It’s not easy being a female in the UK pop industry.
“We have seen white male dominance, misogyny, sexism and lack of diversity.
“We are proud of how we have stuck together, stood our ground and surrounded ourselves with strong women and are now using our voices more than ever.”
Leigh-Anne: Race, Pop and Power is available to stream on BBC iPlayer and is on BBC One, 9pm on May 13
