Jesy Nelson

Jesy Nelson is an English singer, songwriter, dancer, actress and member of the British group Little Mix. In this article, we will look at her biography and discuss her career and personal life.

Biography of Jesy Nelson

This rising star was born on 14 June 1991 in London. She grew up in the same city. Her full name is Jessica Louise Nelson.

Early life

Jesy Nelson’s path to fame began at a young age. She grew up in the Romford area of London. From an early age, she was interested in music and the stage, and studied at the Sylvia Young Theatre School — one of the UK’s most renowned schools for training future performers, actors and singers. Before appearing on television shows, she tried her hand at various creative pursuits, but it was music that became her main focus.

Nelson attended Joe Richardson State School, Abbs Cross Academy and Hornchurch College of Art. At the Sylvia Young Theatre School, her classmate was Rita Ora. Before appearing on The X Factor, Nelson worked as a canteen worker. As a child, she played minor roles in the films ‘My Boy’ and ‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’.

Family

Jesy Nelson was born into an ordinary British family with no links to show business. Her mother’s name was Janice White, and her father, who worked in business, was John Nelson. The artist’s parents divorced when Jesy was a child. The girl, along with her older brothers and sister, Jonotana and Jade, and her younger brother Joseph, was mainly raised by her mother.

Jesy Nelson’s Career

Jesy Nelson followed a path typical of the British pop scene, achieving a level of success that many would envy. First came an attempt to break into the industry via a television talent show, then she achieved global fame as a member of Little Mix, before her career took a sharp turn towards a solo career.

The Start of Her Career

Before she became famous, Jesy Nelson lived in Romford (London), and she had been drawn to the stage since childhood. In 2011, Jesy auditioned for The X Factor UK as a solo contestant. She wasn’t selected as a solo artist, but later a pivotal moment in Nelson’s life and career occurred: a group called Little Mix was formed from several contestants.

The show was created and produced under the direction of Simon Cowell.

Little Mix

Little Mix marked a pivotal moment in Jesy Nelson’s career. Her performances with the group catapulted her to global stardom. The group, comprising Jesy Nelson, Perrie Edwards, Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Jade Thirlwall, won The X Factor UK in 2011. For the first time in the show’s history, the victory went to a girl group.

Little Mix quickly became one of the most successful British pop groups of the 2010s.

Their debut album ‘DNA’, released in 2012, immediately hit the charts, followed by a string of major hits:

1. ‘Wings’.
2. ‘Black Magic’.
3. ‘Shout Out to My Ex’.
4. ‘Secret Love Song’.

The group filled stadiums across the country, toured extensively, won prestigious awards and became one of the UK’s most successful girl groups in terms of sales and streaming. Jesy always stood out among her bandmates both vocally and visually, but at the same time, she was the one who most often spoke about the pressures and online abuse she faced.

With the group, she released six studio albums: DNA (2012), Salute (2013), Get Weird (2015), Glory Days (2016), LM5 (2018) and Confetti (2020). As part of the group, she achieved 17 top-10 singles and five number-one singles on the UK Singles Chart.

Solo projects

After nearly 10 years as a member of Little Mix, Jesy Nelson decided to pursue a solo career. In 2021, she released her debut solo single, “Boyz”, featuring rapper Nicki Minaj. The release made quite an impact:

• the track entered the UK charts;
• the music video garnered millions of views;
• the project was widely discussed in the media due to her change in musical style.

In April 2023, her second single, “Bad Thing”, was released. It is worth noting that Jesy Nelson’s solo direction leaned more towards R&B and hip-hop sounds, which differed significantly from Little Mix’s pop sound. The artist had planned to release new material, but never recorded a full-length solo album, and her appearances on stage became increasingly rare.

Departure from the music industry

Jesy Nelson officially left Little Mix in 2020. The main reason for her departure was not conflict within the group, but her mental health and the pressure of the industry, which led to emotional burnout. The artist spoke about this in the documentary ‘Jesy Nelson: Odd One Out’ (BBC), where she spoke in detail about the consequences of bullying and pressure, including thoughts of suicide and starving herself in the run-up to filming and performances. The film won the Factual Entertainment Award at the 25th National Television Awards.

After leaving the group, she tried to launch a solo career, then became less active in the music industry. Ultimately, Jesy Nelson decided to focus on her personal life and family. She announced this in 2026.

In 2025, the artist launched a campaign to include spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) in the newborn screening programme in Great Britain to ensure earlier diagnosis and treatment.

Jesy Nelson’s personal life

Jesy Nelson has always been under intense media scrutiny – first as a member of Little Mix, then as a solo artist. Most of the talk has centred on her personal life. The singer has had high-profile relationships, an engagement and break-ups. She is under constant pressure from the media. Her romance with Zion Foster has been the most talked-about period of recent years — from love and the birth of their children to a difficult break-up, which was already being discussed after the twins were born.

Not everyone knows that the singer’s ex-boyfriend was a winner of Britain’s Got Talent.

In the past, Nelson has had several romantic relationships, including one with musician Jake Roche. They were together for about two years, from 2014 to 2016. The singer even proposed to her, but they later split up. In addition, the artist dated a member of the band Rixton, and Chris Hughes, a contestant on the show Love Island. Their relationship began in 2019 and ended in 2020. Jesy also had a brief romance with Sean Sagar.

The artist has 15 tattoos. One of the inscriptions, located on her right arm, reads:

Music is the most powerful form of magic

Partner

Jesy Nelson’s partner is now her ex-partner, Zion Foster. The couple announced their relationship in 2023, having started dating in 2022. They quickly became serious about each other. They got engaged in 2025. The couple made plans for the future and had children. After the birth of their daughters, the couple split up.

Children

On 15 May 2025, Jesy Nelson gave birth to twin girls. Their names are Ocean Jade Nelson-Foster and Story Monroe Nelson-Foster. The children’s father is Zion Foster. The girls were born prematurely; during her pregnancy, the singer experienced complications related to the placenta. Shortly afterwards, doctors diagnosed the twins with Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 1 (SMA1).

Net worth

Jesy Nelson’s net worth is estimated at approximately £6–8 million. She earned her fortune through:

• performances as part of Little Mix;
• tours and album sales;
• contracts and television appearances;
• solo projects.

Place of residence

Jesy Nelson grew up in London (Romford, England), and most of her life has been spent in the UK. The artist’s main place of residence is the London area. Due to her work and personal projects, she travels extensively around the country.

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