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What America’s Got Talent didn’t tell you about Alex Sampson

 

In the heart of Northwestern Ontario lies Thunder Bay, a place known for its serene landscapes and tight-knit communities. This is where our story begins, with the birth of a young boy whose voice would soon resonate far beyond these quiet streets. This is the story of Alex Sampson, a young dreamer who dared to turn his passion into reality.

Born on January 20, 2004, Alex Sampson entered the world in Thunder Bay, before moving to the quaint village of Atikokan. Atikokan, with its population of just 2,800, is nestled between the bustling city of Thunder Bay and the border town of International Falls. Surrounded by forests, lakes, and natural beauty, Atikokan is a place where everyone knows each other, and life moves at a gentle pace. Growing up in such a close-knit community, Alex found solace and inspiration in his family and surroundings. His parents, Jennifer and Darren Sampson, were always supportive of his ambitions, nurturing his early interest in music. His brother Simon was not just a sibling but a friend and confidant, sharing in his dreams and aspirations.

Living in Atikokan, opportunities to perform were few and far between. However, the community rallied around Alex, offering him every chance to showcase his talents. School events, local gatherings, and community functions became his stage, each performance honing his skills and building his confidence. The first significant milestone in Alex’s musical journey came in the fifth grade. Overcoming severe stage fright, he stepped onto the stage for the school talent show, turning his back to the audience out of sheer nervousness. As he sang ‘Gold’ by Owl City, his classmates were struck by his natural talent. This moment marked the beginning of Alex’s journey as a performer.

Despite his initial fears, Alex’s confidence grew with each performance. Supported by his family and community, he began to see the potential in his own voice. Music was not just a passion; it was a calling. In late 2018, Alex’s life took a dramatic turn. Embracing the power of social media, he began posting videos on TikTok. Initially, it was just for fun—a way to share his love for music with a wider audience. Little did he know, this would become the catalyst for his rise to fame. Alex’s early TikTok videos quickly gained traction, amassing over 150,000 followers. The road to success was not without its hurdles. Alex faced a significant setback when his TikTok account was shadowbanned. However, Alex didn’t give up. He created a new account, and soon, one of his first few videos went viral, catapulting him into the limelight.

Social media became a pivotal platform for Alex, allowing him to share his music and connect with fans on a personal level.

‘I don’t know if I’d be where I am without social media,’ Alex reflects. ‘Coming from a town in the middle of nowhere with only 3,000 people, social media has been a blessing.

Through platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, Alex built a loyal fanbase that followed him across various channels, eagerly anticipating each new release. His relatable personality and heartfelt music resonated deeply, making him a beloved figure among his followers.

November 2019 marked a turning point in Alex’s career with the release of ‘Cold,’ a collaboration with Australian singer Indiana Massara. ‘Cold’ marked a turning point for Alex, providing him with the exposure needed to transition from a social media star to a recognized artist. With ‘Cold,’ Alex proved that he was more than just a social media sensation. He was an artist with a unique voice and a story to tell, capturing the hearts of listeners around the world.

By 2020, Alex had become a global sensation. His music, streamed over 50 million times, resonated with fans worldwide. Songs like ‘Play Pretend,’ written over Zoom during the COVID-19 pandemic, and ‘BLIND,’ which captures the pain of unforgotten love, became anthems for his generation. His TikTok following soared to 3.6 million, while his Instagram boasted over 950,000 followers. 

Alex’s musical journey is heavily influenced by artists like Owl City, Charlie Puth, and Justin Bieber. These inspirations are evident in his sound. Combining pop-punk rhythms with introspective lyrics, Alex has created a style that is both nostalgic and refreshingly unique.”

On January 19, 2024, Alex released his debut EP, ‘Blurry Vision.’ This six-track collection, crafted over his late teenage years, delves deep into themes of love, loss, and self-discovery. Each song is a chapter of his life, offering listeners a glimpse into his personal journey. The release of ‘Blurry Vision’ was met with widespread acclaim. In 2023, People Magazine recognized Alex as one of the ‘Best Emerging Artists Making Their Mark This Winter.’

Later that year, Alex took another bold step by auditioning for Season 19 of ‘America’s Got Talent. Performing his original song ‘Pretty Baby,’ Alex wowed the judges with his retro-inspired sound, reminiscent of the ’50s and ’60s. Simon Cowell praised the song’s authenticity, calling it a ‘smart’ move. “Despite his nerves, Alex’s authentic and heartfelt performance earned him a unanimous ‘yes’ from the judges, advancing him to the next round. This moment marked a new chapter in his journey, showcasing his potential to a national audience.”

As Alex continues to rise in the music world, he remains focused on his dreams. He aspires to collaborate with his idols, perform at iconic venues like Madison Square Garden, and continue to create music that resonates with his fans.”

Do you think Alex Sampson has what it takes to win season 19 of America’s Got Talent? Let us know in the comments below and thanks for reading.

The Journey of BJ Griffin: America’s Got Talent’s Singing Cello Player

John “BJ” Griffin was born in Detroit, Michigan, a city renowned for its rich musical history. However, it was in Virginia Beach, where he moved soon after, that his musical journey began. Discovering a family heirloom violin sparked his interest, but it was the cello that eventually won his heart.

During the 5th grade, BJ was part of the Virginia Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Hampton Roads Chamber Players, performing internationally, including concerts in China and Greece. His love for music brought him to James Madison University, where he studied music education, cello performance, and the music industry. It was at this point that he discovered another layer to his musical talent – singing.

BJ’s vocal skills led to him becoming a soloist with the all-male a cappella group Exit 245. He toured and performed along the East Coast, earning recognition when the group appeared on the Best of College A Cappella with Exit 245, a nationwide compilation, twice. BJ was also featured as a soloist on Voices Only 2008, a worldwide compilation, singing “Canned Heat,” a song popularized by Jamiroquai.

During his college years in 2007, BJ initiated his teaching career at Shenandoah Academy High School and Elementary School. He taught private lessons, started a strings program, and maintained a private violin and cello studio in the Shenandoah Valley. His summers were dedicated to improving his craft at the Bay View Music Conservatory in Petoskey, Michigan, and performing at various music festivals on the East Coast and the Midwest.

Post-graduation, BJ moved to New York City, where he taught music at Bronx Academy High School and also worked as a freelance cellist. His commitment and talent led him to a faculty position at Interlochen Arts Camp in Michigan, where he taught lessons, coached sectionals, and performed in faculty recitals. At Interlochen, BJ experimented with the distinctive combination of singing and playing the cello simultaneously, debuting as a singing cellist at a faculty composers recital in 2011.

BJ’s journey subsequently led him back to the Tidewater area of Virginia. Here, he continued to teach and perform as a solo artist, often collaborating with other local artists. In 2013, he formed a band named BJ Griffin and the Galaxy Groove, and also partnered with long-time friend and pianist, Jason Brown. The BJ Griffin Duo saw the duo create music outside of the classical realm.

As a bandleader, BJ performs almost daily, both locally and out of town. His performances have been highlighted in the Virginian Pilot and several local television stations, with his band serving as the supporting act for artists like Lauryn Hill, Smash Mouth, Sir Sly, Lionel Richie, and most recently, Erykah Badu.

BJ’s ventures extend beyond performing; he is the owner and founder of Galaxy Music Center in Virginia Beach. As an entrepreneur and performer, he aspires to expand the boundaries of musicians of all genres to a wider audience, fostering further opportunities to share the joy of learning and performing music.

Outside of music, BJ is an ardent freediver – a form of underwater diving that relies on breath-holding rather than scuba gear. He is an advocate for the sport, promoting it via his social media platforms, where he shares his dives alongside his original music and covers.

In 2019, BJ released two singles, “Time” and “On My Mind,” that exhibited his unique blend of classical and contemporary music. In July, he released his newest single, “It’s A New Day.”

BJ recently auditioned for America’s Got Talent, marking a significant step in his career. His touching response to Judge Sofia Vergara’s question regarding his timing was, “I’m done holding myself back. I came on to win AGT and achieve my dream of sharing healing through my music with the world.” He spoke of his decision to quit high school football to pursue music, stating, “It was a hard decision because I felt like my parents wanted me to do football. But in my heart, I wanted to be a musician only.”

His stunning performance of Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together” on his electric cello received a standing ovation from the judges, leading to him advancing to the next round. Judge Sofia Vergara lauded it as a delightful surprise, while Judge Howie Mande declared BJ as his favorite singing contestant. Simon Cowell termed it a memorable audition.

From the streets of Detroit to the stages of Virginia, from the depths of the ocean to the national stage of America’s Got Talent, BJ continues to inspire with his unique blend of music. His journey demonstrates that with talent and hard work, anyone can create their own unique galaxy of groove.

Is she the next Catie Turner? Meet Leah Marlene – American Idol Audition story

20-year-old Leah Marlene blew judges away with her American Idol audition of Steal my girl by one direction. Marlene was born in Toronto, Canada but grew up in Normal, Illinois where she currently lives. Growing up, Leah played hockey for the Double AA Bloomington Thunder where she was the goalie and the only girl on the team. But hockey wasn’t the activity that occupied most of her time. For Leah, Music was the biggest part of her life.
Leah grew up around music. Her father, Derry Graham, was an 80’s rocker in the Canadian band “Honeymoon Suite” and taught her to play piano and the guitar. He also passed along his passion for songwriting. From that young age, Leah began singing and writing her own songs.
 
Leah began performing around her hometown around the age of 10. By the age of 13, Leah was releasing her own original music. As a freshman in high school, Leah began to make regular trips to Nashville to write, record, and perform new music. In 2018 she released an EP called “Arrow”.
In 2020 she self-produced an album called “The Space Between.” After graduating High School, Leah attended Belmont University in Nashville where she spent two years studying songwriting before returning home to work on her new album. In September of 2021, Leah was named one of five winners of the SOCAN Foundation’s Young Canadian Songwriters Award for the song spacesuit from “The Space Between” album. Eager to release her new music, she started a Kickstarter campaign in December of 2021 to help fund the production of the new album Leah explained she wanted to have more collaboration on her new album and she raised more than $10,000 exceeding her original $8500 goal.

In June of 2021, American Idol producers reached out to Leah to audition for the show. In July, she auditioned for show producers in Nashville and was invited back to audition before the celebrity judges last November. Before her audition, Leah explained she has been watching the show since she was very young. For her audition, Leah performed a unique cover of One Direction’s “Steal my girl.” After the performance, Judge Katie perry said “You have a tremendous voice” and asked to perform another song after learning Leah had original music. Leah then performed a piece of one of her original songs, “Wisher to the well.” After the performance Judge Katy Perry said, “She reminds me of Catie Turner.” Leah responded that she was honored by the comparison saying Catie was so fun. Judge Lionel Richie told Leah that she carries her “strangeness so well” and loves how she’s so confident with who she is. All three judges voted yes earning Leah a golden ticket and a trip to Hollywood.

Leah’s American Idol audition clip currently has over 1 million views on Facebook, plus almost 600,000 views on YouTube. Leah also isn’t letting American Idol slow her down and she just released her new album “Many Colors” a few days ago. Do you think Leah has what it takes to win American Idol? Let us know in the comments below and thank you for watching.

Beyond Got Talent: The story of Angelina Jordan

Angelina Jordan is a 16 year old singer who became a viral sensation which she auditioned for the 2014 season of Norway’s got talent when she was just eight years old. Angelina was born in Oslo Norway and began listening to classic American jazz artists when she was very young. She continued to immerse herself in jazz and around the age of five she discovered Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, and Louis Armstrong by combining jazz playlists on Youtube. Angelina’s jazz influence was apparent during her audition and she would go on to win Norway’s got talent with her
performance of George Gershwin’s Summertime.

After winning the show Angelina continued to perform and increase her exposure. In June of 2014, she performed Dinah Washington’s “what a difference a day makes” for the opening show of tv two’s “Allsang på grensen.” In September of 2014, Angelina performed on US television for the first time singing Frank Sinatra’s “Fly me to the moon” on ABC’s “The View.” In December of 2014,  Angelina made her recording debut with the release of the three-song maxi-single “My Christmas”, which featured her popular rendition of ”White Christmas.”

Angelina has also given her talent to raise millions of dollars for charitable causes. In December of 2014, Angelina performed “Fly me to the moon” at Ein Herz für Kinder in Berlin, where she helped raise over 21 million Euros for children and families in need. Later that month she performed for Nobel Peace Prize recipients Malala Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthi at the Save the Children’s Peace Prize Celebration.

You may have noticed that Angelina sings barefoot for her performances. In 2015, Angelina published her first book, “Between Two Hearts” which explains the reason she performs barefoot. According to the book, Angelina was traveling in the middle east with her family around the age of 6 and met a homeless girl who didn’t have any shoes. Angelina gave the girl her shoes and in return, the girl promised to pray for Angelina to fulfill her dream of becoming a singer. Since then, Angelina has pledged to perform barefoot every time she performs in public as a reminder of all the kids in the world who need help and support.”

Angelina has built an impressive social media presence and has recorded over 130 covers from more than 80 different artists that she’s posted to social media. Her videos have generated over a half billion views on YouTube and almost 2 billion views on Facebook. Angelina created her main YouTube channel, “Angelina Jordan Official”, in May of 2014. The channel currently has over 647,000 subscribers and features recently released music as well as some of her performances over the years. In July of 2017, Angelina created a second YouTube channel called “Angelina Jordan Cover channel”, where she posts many of her cover videos including her recent cover of Adele’s Easy on me. Angelina is also popular on Instagram with over 259,000 followers and in June of 2021, she joined Tik Tok where she continues to post many of her cover videos.

Angelina returned to reality television competitions in April of 2016 when she performed fly me to the moon on the first season of Little Big Shots.
The following year she performed “What a Difference a Day Makes” on the UK version of the show. In June of 2017, she performed “I put a spell on you” on the German version of the show, Little big stars.

In January of 2020, Angelina appeared on the second season of “America’s Got Talent: The Champions.” Before her performance, Angelina told judge Heidi Klum that she had waited 10 years to sing for Simon Cowell. For her audition, the 13-year old singer performed queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
The performance earned Angelina a Golden Buzzer from judge Heidi Klum and earned a trip directly to the finals. For the final, Angelina performed “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”, by Elton John. The performance was well-received but Angelina did not receive enough votes to advance to the top five of the competition and she was eliminated.

After Angelina’s elimination that February, the young singer continued her career as an entertainer. She currently resides in Los Angeles and in august of 2020,  Angelina announced she had signed with Republic Records. She released her first single, “Million Miles”,  in November of 2020, and it currently has over 2 million streams on Spotify. Her latest single, “Seventh Heaven”, was released in March of 2021 and has almost two million streams on Spotify also.

Even though Angelina did not win America’s Got Talent, it looks like she is well on her way to a successful music career.

America’s Got Talent Semifinal 1 results: Which acts advanced to the AGT finals.

Meet the first five acts advancing to the Americas’ Got Talent finals.

America’s Got Talent’s first semifinal took place last night with 11 acts vying for a spot in the semifinals.

Overnight America’s Got Talent fans voted for the 5 acts they would like to advance to the finale for a chance to be crowned the season 16 winner of America’s got talent.
The five acts advancing to the finals are:

 

Aidan Bryant

Aidan Bryant’s love for acrobatics began at just 14 with a tree and his grandma’s bedsheet. In just two years, the self-taught aerialist has already mastered contortion, hand balancing and even archery without any dance or gymnastics experience. Now, the Virginia native is ready to bring his intricate aerial routines from the backyard to the “AGT” stage.

 

Dustin Tavella

Dustin Tavella is a magician who aims to inspire audiences by using magic to connect with people from all different walks of life. Tavella resides in Virginia Beach, Virginia, with his wife, Kari, and their adopted son, Xander.

 

Gina Brillon

Born and raised in the Bronx, Gina Brillon is a Puerto Rican actress, singer, comedian, published writer and new mom. She has been performing as a stand-up comedian since she was 17 and has had some incredible success in her career thus far. Appearances include Comedy Central’s “Live at Gotham,” “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” “The View” and “Chelsea Lately” as well as scripted series “Kevin Can Wait” and “The Conners.” She was the first Latina winner of NBC’s “Stand Up for Diversity Showcase,” was a New Face at the Montreal Just for Laughs Festival and was featured on Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias’ “Beyond the Fluffy Tour.”

 

Jimmie Herrod

Originally from Tacoma, Washington, Jimmie Herrod is a musician now based in Portland. After finishing a bachelor’s in composition and performance from Cornish College of the Arts, he moved to Portland where he received a master’s in jazz studies from Portland State University. He has performed in a number of musicals in both Washington and Oregon and has also worked with various well-known artists, including ODESZA and Pink Martini. In 2019, Pink Martini featured Herrod on an EP entitled “Tomorrow.” 

 

World Taekwondo Demo Team

World Taekwondo Demonstration Team was founded in 2009. They have been playing a leading role in the promotion of Taekwondo globally by displaying spectacular techniques at international sporting events such as the Olympic Games, Youth Olympic Games, Universiade as well as World Taekwondo competitions. The team’s mission is to contribute to social development and world peace through their sport. Their act on “AGT” garnered a Golden Buzzer from host Terry Crews.

 

Surprisingly Jimmie Herrod, Michael Winslow, and World Taekwondo Demo team found themselves in the instant save having placed 4th, 5th, and 6th in the overnight voting results. During the results of the instant save, Host Terry Crews announced that viewers at home voted Jimmie Herrod through to the finals. The judges then selected World Taekwondo Demo team as the final act to advance to the finals.

Sadly, this means Beyond Belief Dance Company, Korean Soul, Madilyn Bailey, Michael Winslow, Peter Rosalita, and Tory Vagasy did not advance and are going home. The five acts from semifinal 1 will join the five winning acts from semifinal 2 to compete in the season 16 America’s Got Talent final.

Did your favorite act make it through? Did America get it right? Let us now in the comments below.

 

What AGT didn’t tell you about Victory Brinker | America’s Got Talent Season 16

9 year old Victory Brinker made “America’s Got Talent” history when she became the first contestant ever to receive a Golden Buzzer from all four judges, as well as the host. Victory has 10 siblings and currently lives in Latrobe, Pennsylvania with her parents Christine and Eric Brinker. The Brinker’s adopted nine of their eleven children including Victory who was adopted as a baby. All of the adoptions were open and the children maintain relationships with their birth parents, if possible.

Victory began singing at a young age and would often appear in videos with her older brother Isaac, a social media star on Vine with over a million followers. You may even remember her from their viral “too tired” Vine when she was just two years old.

At the age of 3, Victory memorized every song on a CD by Mandisa, an African American gospel and Christian music singer. The day before she turned 6, Victory asked her mom to show her a video of somebody who could sing the very highest notes, higher than Mandisa. Her mom showed her an opera singer and Victory said, ‘I’m gonna do that. Teach me a song.’ Two days later, Victory had learned ‘Ave Maria.’

In February of 2018, just three weeks after being shown the opera video, Victory entered the Rising Star talent competition in Fox Chapel, Pennsylvania. She performed her rendition of Ave maria and placed first in the competition. Having won her first talent competition, Victory continued entering contests to showcase her talent.
In April of 2018, she received the opportunity to sing at Carnegie Hall, an honor she earned after a win at the American Protégé Music talent competition. By the end of 2018, Victory had entered a total of 12 talent competitions, placing first in 11 of them.

With all of her accomplishments, also came the need to practice and learn new songs.
Victory’s mom, who sings and plays piano and has experience directing both youth and adult choirs, has been instrumental in her development. Her family recently enlisted the help of a Pittsburgh-based opera singer to make sure Victory doesn’t strain her vocal cords as she learns more challenging compositions. In addition to singing opera, Victory also speaks seven languages, including Italian, Latin, French, and German. 

Soon Victory began receiving requests to perform outside of talent competitions.
One of her first opportunities came when she performed the National Anthem before a Utah Jazz basketball game in January of 2019. The team invited Victory back to sing the anthem again for their 2019 playoff game against the Houston Rockets. In April of 2019 Victory once again received the opportunity to perform the National Anthem, this time for the Pittsburgh Pirates home opener against the St Louis cardinals. A few months later, Victory traveled to New You to perform at the legendary Apollo theater.

Victory’s talent wasn’t just limited to singing and it wasn’t long before she landed her first movie role playing a featured extra in a short film to benefit St. Jude hospital called “Boy Hero”. From there she received two more acting opportunities, including the lead role of Izzy in the Christian film “Helping Izzy” as well as another short role in a film called Code Red. 

In April of 2020, Victory made her television debut when she performed “Queen of the night” from the magic flute on NBC’s Little Big shots.

Victory’s success has not gone unnoticed. Soon after her appearance on Little Big shots, Victory’s family was contacted by AGT producers who invited her to compete on season 15 of the show. The family decided not to pursue the opportunity during the middle of the pandemic but it wouldn’t be long before Victory was performing again.

Victory also maintains an active social media presence on Instagram, Youtube, and Facebook. Her Instagram account has over 16,000 followers and contains posts of her performances, including an impressive cover of Andrea Bocelli’s “Fall on Me”.

At the beginning of the year, Victory had the opportunity to work with Dreamworks Studios, appearing in a Trolls World Tour music video where she performed “Just Sing” in German.

There have been many other appearances but now Victory has made it to the place she’s wanted to go since the start of her journey over three years ago, America’s Got Talent. AGT producers once again contacted the Brinker family and invited Victory to appear on season 16 of the show. Happy to have another chance, Victory accepted the opportunity to audition before the celebrity judges.

Before her performance, judge Simon Cowell asked Victory to tell the judging panel a little bit about herself. Victory admitted that she was “exnervous”, a combination of excited and nervous at the same time. Simon Cowell then asked what she’d do if she won the 1 million dollar prize. “Buy Simon a rainbow shirt that has glitter on it!” Victory said responded. “Do you think I need a rainbow shirt?” asked Simon.“You need some color,” Victory replied.

For her audition, Victory gave a soaring performance of “Juliet’s Waltz”, from the French opera Romeo et Juliette. The performance earned standing ovations from three of the judges while Simon Cowell remained seated. After the performance, Judge Howie Mandel said, I was not expecting that and you’re angelic. I loved it.” Judge Heide Klum told the singer, “You have a beautiful voice, you are incredible!”

Judge Sofia Vergara said, “You are a star. I think you have a powerful voice, that was amazing I really loved it.”

Judge Simon Cowell told Victory: I think auditioning and turning up sometimes is really important for your career and I think you have been incredibly brave to come here.
He then called host Terry Crews over to the judges’ table where he and judges huddled together while Victory waited nervously on stage. Simon then stunned the audience saying “we’re not going to give you a yes today.” The audience started booing and Simon went on to say “We’re going to do something else we’ve never, ever done on the show before. We are all going to give you something special.” As all four judges and the show’s host hit the Golden Buzzer at once, sending Victory straight to the live shows.

With her golden buzzer Victory made AGT history as the first contestant to have all four judges and the host give their golden buzzer to a contestant at the same time.

Do you think Victory has what it takes to win season 16 of America’s Got Talent? Let us know in the comments below and thank you for watching.

What America’s Got Talent didn’t get a chance to tell you about Nightbirde (Jane Marczewski)

 

Long before she took on the name Nightbirde, Jane Marczewski dreamed of becoming a singer as a little girl growing up in Zanesville Ohio.
At the age of 11, she competed in “Y-City Star” at the Colony Square Mall and from that point, she knew she wanted to be a singer.
“After I performed in that competition, that’s when I started vocal lessons and learning guitar, and that was the catalyst for real,” she said.

Jane graduated from Licking County Christian Academy in 2009 and later that year began attending Liberty University as an advertising and public relations student.
It was during her time at Liberty that she was first encouraged to pursue music professionally.
“At Liberty, I was constantly challenged with the question, ‘If you could do anything for this world and you knew that you would succeed, what would you do?’”
For Jane, the answer to that question was always music, but she never felt it was a realistic path before coming to Liberty.
She explained, “Lynchburg and that area of Virginia, those beautiful mountains, it’s where I found myself really and where I found my voice and it was such a launching pad for me and I’ll be grateful for that forever. I don’t know where I’d be had I not started my music career in Lynchburg.”
Jane auditioned for Liberty’s traveling music teams but failed to secure a spot saying “I was almost good enough, and I would almost make the cut every time,”
Undeterred, Jane began writing her own music and in 2011 she recorded three original songs and played her first show at “The White Hart Café.”
In May of 2013, she released her debut EP “Ocean & Sky.
She began developing a following in the Lynchburg area and even landed on the cover of “Lynchburg Living” in 2014.
But offstage, Jane was struggling with the pressure of her success.
“Along with the successes came, I guess, the fear that I would be found out,” she said.
“Just the sense of, ‘Oh my gosh, everybody thinks I’m so amazing and I’m really not that amazing, so I need to keep everyone at a distance.’”
After a performance downtown on a Friday night towards the end of 2014, Jane made the decision to step away from music for a couple of months and return home to Ohio.
“All I ever wanted to do was play music and have people’s attention, cheering about what I sang,” she said. “I succeeded at that a little too much, because it was bad for me. I didn’t like the person I was internally. I was really focused on succeeding in my career and being likeable and newsworthy, but wasn’t taking care of my inner self.”

Once back in Ohio, two months turned into nearly a year after she met and fell in love with fellow musician Jeremy Claudio.
Eight months after meeting, Jane and Jeremy married and a few months later they moved to Nashville
Jane soon began thinking of restarting her career and decided to take on a new stage name, “Nightbirde.”
She explained the stage name was inspired by a recurring dream of birds singing outside her window at night.
 “I woke up three nights in a row, the same dream, “These birds were singing so loud like it was dawn,” she explained.
“But I was hearing them sing like that in the middle of the night.”
“The third night, I woke up, went to the window, and saw there were birds. I just felt like it was really profound that these birds were singing so loudly and so joyfully in anticipation of the dawn, even though there were no signs of it yet.”

In the Fall of 2017, Jane was just beginning to get comfortable with the idea of performing again when doctors discovered a 4-centimeter tumor and she was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer.
In the months following her diagnosis, Jane underwent 6 rounds of chemotherapy which resulted in 3 additional surgeries including a double mastectomy
In July of 2018, Jane shared in an Instagram post that scans revealed her cancer was in remission

By the Fall, Jane was once again ready to begin performing and making music when a follow-up exam that November yielded new symptoms
Scans revealed three sizable tumors in her lungs, 3 tumors in her spine, and innumerable tumors in her liver and throughout her ribs.
On New Year’s Eve 2019, Janet was diagnosed with terminal cancer.
Just days after her diagnosis, Jane’s husband walked away from their marriage and the pair divorced a couple of weeks later.
Jane was given three to six months to live but she made it much farther with the help of a new treatment that prompted her to move to California to receive.
In a post to her Blog Jane said, “After the doctor told me I was dying, and after the man I married said he didn’t love me anymore, I chased a miracle in California and sixteen weeks later, I got it.”
By July of 2020, Jane’s Cancer was once again in remission and Jane posted a message to her followers saying, “This spring, I experienced a true miracle. Hundreds of tumors died in my body, after being given 3-6 months to live. It was a whirlwind of a year, and my friends, family, and fans gave tens of thousands of dollars for a treatment that saved my life.
Unfortunately, Jane’s battle with Cancer wasn’t quite over and follow-up exams later that year revealed her cancer had returned.
In a post on her blog she said, “I have had cancer three times now, and I have barely passed 30. There are times when I wonder what I must have done to deserve such a story.”

Throughout her battle with cancer, Jane has continued to music music and has released several singles to streaming platforms, including “Girl in a Bubble,” “IT’S OK,” and “New Year’s Eve.”
She recently released a live version of her single “It’s OK” which she also performed for her America’s Got Talent audition.

Before her audition, Jane told judges she was singing an original song called “It’s Ok,” which she wrote about her battle with cancer and her determination to remain positive.
Judge Simon Cowell then asked Jane how she is doing now and she responded “The last time I checked I had some cancer in my lungs and spine and my liver”
 Judge Howie Mandel then asked, “So… you’re not OK?” to which Jane calmly answered, “Well, not in every way, no.”
Howie then told Jane “You’ve got a beautiful smile and a beautiful glow, and nobody would know,”, to which she replied, “Thank you. It’s important that everyone knows that I’m so much more than the bad things that happen to me.
She then gave a moving performance of her original ballad, “It’s Ok”
The audition earned a standing ovation from the audience and AGT judges.
Howie Mandel described the performance as “the most authentic thing I’ve heard this season and Judge Sofia Vergara also praised the performance saying ““It was powerful, it was heartfelt, and I think you’re amazing.”
Simon Cowell told the singer, ““There was something about that song,”
“The way you almost casually told us what you’re going through.
“There have been some great singers this year and I’m not going to give you a yes… I’m going to give you something else.” Pressing the golden buzzer and sending Jane straight to the live shows.
After her performance, Jane told host Terry Crews “I have a 2 percent chance of survival, but 2 percent is not 0 percent,”
“Two percent is something, and I wish people knew how amazing it is.”

Jane is feeling much stronger since her initial audition saying “Physically, I’m feeling really well. I just finished some treatments a week ago and the doctors are anticipating that it’s going to take care of everything that has been left over.
Fans can donate money to help pay for her treatments through a GoFundMe page that we will link in the description below.
Doctors are hopeful the same treatments will rid cancer from her body once more, and Jane said “It will be a few more months until we can go back and see what’s going on, but I’m expecting good news.”

Jane was scheduled to perform on the first quarterfinal but on August 2nd, Jane announced she would not be appearing on future episodes of America’s Got Talent. She explained in an Instagram post:

“Since my audition, my health has taken a turn for the worse and the fight with cancer is demanding all of my energy and attention. I am so sad to announce that I won’t be able to continue forward on AGT.”

At the time of publishing, supporters have donated over $548,000 to the GoFundMe account listed below to help cover her medical expenses.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/one-last-push-to-seejanewin

We wish Jane a speedy recovery and look forward to hearing more of her music.

Performing live for the first time, Cleveland singer Mary Jo Young auditions for American Idol.

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Mary Jo Young had never performed live in front of a group prior to her American Idol audition of Tate McCrays “You broke me.” Born in Knoxville, Tennessee, the 19-year-old singer grew up in both Tennessee and the Cleveland, Ohio area where she currently works as a real estate sales associate. Mary Jo explained she has loved singing since she was little and comes from a very musical family.

Her journey to American Idol began almost a year ago when she started posting videos to TikTok during pandemic-related shutdowns in Ohio last spring. Initially posting just for fun, Mary Jo began attracting an audience with her impressive covers and now has over 263,000 followers on the platform. Her posts of Tate McRae’s “You Broke Me First,” Niall Horan’s “This Town” and Noah Cyrus’ “Young & Sad” started gaining popularity and Mary Jo later released recorded versions on Spotify and other streaming platforms. It wasn’t long before she began attracting the attention of tv talent competitions. In an interview with Cleveland.com Mary Jo said, “It all happened in the blink of an eye. One day I was posting covers and all of the sudden I had people reaching out from shows.” America’s Got Talent and The Voice expressed interest in her but Mary Jo settled on American Idol saying, “I thought I’d do ‘American Idol’ because everyone on the show sings; I don’t want to go up against someone who’s juggling fire because I don’t know how the heck that would go,”

For her audition, Mary Jo performed “You broke me first” by Tate McCray. After the performance, Judge Luke Bryan asked “So you’ve never really performed in front of a live crowd?” Mary Jo revealed that not only has she never performed in front of a crowd, she’s also never sung in front of her own mother. American Idol judges decided to “fix that” and asked Mary Jo to bring her mom into the audition room. Judge Katy Perry said, “So you’re a fan of your daughter from afar, I hear,” to which Mary Jo’s mom responds, “That’s pretty much it.” The judges watch in awe as  Mary Jo then sings a cover of  Lewis Capaldi’s “Bruises” in front of her mom for the very first time. After the performance, Mary Jo’s mom tells the judges “Thank you for making her do that,” Mary Jo’s audition earned yes votes from all three judges with Luke Bryan saying “Top Ten I think.”

Mary Jo admits she was nervous before the audition. In an interview with Cleveland.com, she said, “I was originally scared to do the show because I hadn’t sung in front of anyone, let alone three of the most famous artists in the world. “I’ll always be nervous in front of Katy Perry.”

With her successful audition, Mary Jo is on her way to Hollywood and while Luke Bryan has at least 15 contestants on his Top Ten, we agree Mary Jo may be one of them.

Do you think Mary Jo has what it takes to win season 19 of American Idol?
Let us know in the comments below.

America’s Got Talent announces season 16 judges

Wondering if Simon Cowell will be returning as a judge for Season 16 of America’s Got Talent? Cowell had to take some time off from the show after injuring his back in an electric bicycle accident last August. Several guest hosts filled in for the Idol judge while he was recovering from surgery.

AGT fans no longer need to wonder as NBC announced that Cowell, Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum, and Sofia Vergara will all be returning for season 16. Host Terry Crews is also slated to return when the new season airs this summer.

Crews dropped by Twitter to post a picture of the group announcing, “WE’RE BACK!” while also hyping one last chance to audition for season 16.

“AGT will be hosting one final nationwide ‘Last Chance Audition’ for the upcoming season on Saturday, March 6,” a network news release said. Interested acts can register now at www.AGTAuditions.com for a virtual audition slot where they will perform live for show producers. The best acts discovered that day will then go on to perform for the AGT judges.”

From X-Factor to Little Mix and Beyond: The story of Jesy Nelson

Jesy Nelson was first introduced to fans when she auditioned for the eighth season of The X Factor in 2011. That audition would lead to Jesy joining a girl band with three other women who would become her best friends. Together, they would win season 8 of The X-factor and go on to sell over 60 million records worldwide, becoming one of the most successful girl groups of all time. For Jesy, It was a dream come true. But winning The X-Factor wasn’t the dream she imagined. In fact, Jesy would remember it as one of the worst experiences of her life. Recently introduced to social media, Jesy became obsessed with negative comments about her appearance and weight. Her struggle to cope with the criticism would ultimately cause her to leave the group.

Jesy was born Jessica Louise Nelson in June of 1991 to parents John Nelson and Janis White. Her parents were childhood sweethearts and married while John Nelson was in prison serving the beginning of a life sentence for a 1986 murder conviction. Her father’s murder conviction was later overturned on appeal. The couple would have Jesy and three other children before separating a few years later when Jesy was five. As a child, Jesy loved to entertain. She had some small acting roles, appearing as an extra in the 2002 romantic comedy “about a boy” and also “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.” Jesy was also a talented dancer and often performed in the Liberty Mall fashion shows as part of the 12 member dance group, “Out of the shadows”.

Prior to auditioning for The X-Factor, Jesy worked as a barmaid in east London. She’d watch the show in the pub where she worked and found herself saying “I know I could win that.” One of her friends finally encouraged her to take the leap and audition.

For her audition, Jesy sang “Bust Your Windows’ by Jazmine Sullivan. X-factor judge Tulisa loved the audition but fellow Judge Gary Barlow was not a fan, telling Jesy “I found it lacked individuality, I found it very generic.” Jesy ultimately made it through her audition and advanced to the Bootcamp stage of the competition. During Bootcamp, Jesy has paired with fellow contestant Perrie Edwards as part of the group “Faux Pas.” Unfortunately, the group was not selected to advance and it appeared Jesy’s X-Factor journey had come to an end.   X-Factor judges, however, had one final decision to make and decided to create a new group with members from groups that failed to advance. Jesy and fellow contestants Jade Thirlwall, Perrie Edwards, and Leigh-Anne Pinnock were called back to the judges’ table and told they would advance to the next round as a new group. The girls would perform together for the first time during the Judges’ Houses stage of the competition. The group, now called Rhythmix, performed Fergie’s “Big Girls don’t cry.” After the performance, the groups’ mentor Tulisa told the girls they had advanced to the live shows.

For their first live performance, the girls impressed judges with their performance of Nicki Minaj’s Superbass. After the performance, Judge Gary Barlow said: “It is week one and you are already the best girl band that has ever been on The X Factor.” The group advanced to the next round and the show gave the girls new Samsung phones, encouraging them to engage fans on social media.

Later that night, the contestants had a chance to watch themselves on Youtube and someone showed Jesy the comments section. She was expecting to see feedback regarding the performance, but instead, nearly every comment was about the way she looked. In 2011, Reality TV wasn’t connected to social media the way it is today and this was the first X-Factor season where contestants could upload their audition videos to Youtube. Heartbroken and unprepared for the barrage of negative criticism, Jesy considered leaving the show. As the night went on, an X-Factor staff member encountered Jesy crying alone and asked her why she was upset. A few days later Jesy was asked again to explain why she was upset… This time on camera. Jesy was reluctant but relented after X-factor producers falsely told her the moment wasn’t being recorded.

As Rhythmix progressed through the live shows, Jesy continued to receive negative comments and criticism regarding her appearance. Just before the week 4 live show, the girls changed the group’s name to Little Mix to avoid conflict with a local charity that was already using the name Rhythmix.
The X-Factor also wanted to present the girls as normal and relatable. They were introduced by Judge Tulisa as “The girl group to represent ladies in this country.” To highlight that Little Mix had the same insecurities as every other girl, X-Factor broadcast the clip of Jesy in tears before their week 4 live show performance. From that point on, the singer’s insecurities would become a large part of her public narrative. For the Top 11 Week 4 live show, the Little Mix performed ET by Katy Perry. After the performance, The group’s mentor Tulisa, expressed how proud she was of the girls and specifically Jesy for speaking up about her insecurities.

For the week 6 live show, the group performed a mashup of Lady Gaga’s Telephone and Radio Ga Ga by Queen. After the performance, Judge Gary Barlow said the performance was great, but he felt disappointed because the performance was too predictable. Judge Tulisa said, “regardless of what anyone on this panel says, you girls have come further than any girl band in the history of X-Factor.”

The group advanced to the next round and for the Week 7 live show, Little Mix gave a vocally focused performance of “Don’t let go” by EnVouge.
Following the performance, judge Kelly Rowland told the group “I’m so happy. To me, you guys could be the best girl group to come out of the UK.”
Judge Gary Barlow said “Girls, that was your best performance to date. Brilliant.” The group received enough votes from viewers and advanced to the next round.

For the week 8 live show, Little Mix further highlighted their vocals performing “Beautiful” by Christina Aguilera. After the performance, Judge Tulisa said “That was the best performance you have ever done because it was real, it was true to you and it was from the heart. Judge Louis Walsh said of the  performance, “that was powerful, it was emotional, I hope people vote for you.” Little mix earned enough votes from viewers to advance to the semi-Final round

For the Motown-themed semi-final, Little Mix performed “Keep me hanging on” by the Supremes. The song was well received but X- Factor the judges expected more. Judge Louis Walsh said “there was something missing from that performance. It’s like you lost your mojo.” For the second song of the night, the girls sang “If I were a boy” by Beyonce. Following the performance, judge Gary Barlow told the group, “Girls, for a semi-final act, these vocals aren’t just good enough tonight. During the results show, Little mix earned enough votes from viewers to advance to the Final.

For the final, Little Mix performed a rendition of En Vogue’s Don’t Let Go, followed by Christmas classic Silent Night. For the final song of the night, Little Mix performed their version of Damien Rice’s Cannonball. During the results portion of the show, Host Dermont O’Leary revealed Little Mix had one season 8 of The X-Factor. With their win, Little Mix made X Factor history becoming the first group ever to win in the show’s ten-year history.

Little Mix would go on to become the biggest British girl group since the Spice Girls, releasing six studio albums and four UK number one singles.
For Jesy, winning offered no respite. The first Facebook message she saw after winning The X-Factor read: “You are the ugliest thing I have ever seen in my life. You do not deserve to be in this girl band, you deserve to die.” Recalling the experience Jesy said,”From the minute I won X Factor, I wasn’t Jesy the barmaid, the happy confident girl that I used to be. “I was the vulnerable nervous wreck the whole time.”

On the surface, Jesy was living out her childhood dream. In January, Little Mix made an appearance at the National television awards where they performed En Vouge’s “Hold on.” A few months later, Jesy experienced her first tour, traveling across the UK and Ireland with other finalists as part of Little Mix on the X-Factor Live tour. Later that year, Little Mix released their debut album DNA, which reached the top 10 in 10 countries. In 2013, Little Mix became the first British girl group to debut in the US top five, with DNA selling over 50,000 copies. The group also enjoyed a large following on Social media with mixers creating Facebook fan clubs and popular YouTubers reacting to their music videos.

Little Mix had become one of the most successful acts to emerge from The X Factor, yet Jesy was finding it increasingly difficult to cope with the pressure of being in the band. Her lowest point came at the end of 2013, prior to the release of Little Mix’s second album, “Salute”. The group was scheduled to return to The X-Factor franchise in November to perform their new singleMove.” Concerned with how fans would receive her appearance, Jesy starved herself the week before the show even though she had already lost almost 30 pounds over the summer. The day after the show, media coverage of the performance-focused on one tweet from media personality Katie Hopkins.
 “Packet Mix have still got a chubber in their ranks. Less Little Mix. More Pick n Mix.
Jesy became increasingly distraught, falling into a state of severe depression that began to spiral out of control.
Unable to tolerate the pain anymore, Jesy went to her kitchen and took as many tablets as she could with the intent of ending her life.
While lying in Bed, Jesy confessed what she had done to her boyfriend at the time, who called an ambulance
Reflecting back, Jesy explained “when you’re in that state of mind, all you care about is taking the pain away. You don’t think about the people you are going to leave behind, You just want the physical pain you are feeling to stop.

A turning point for Jesy came in February of 2014 when Little Mix was touring with Demi Lovato on the Neon Lights Tour. Lovato’s dancers were able to convince Jesy to take herself off social media and delete her Twitter account. “It was a long, hard process because I didn’t want to help myself. But it wasn’t until I deleted Twitter that everything changed for me and I slowly started to feel normal again,” Jesy explained. Eventually, with therapy and talking to friends and family, Jesy was able to stop reading articles about herself and her mental health improved. She began dating Rixton lead singer, Jake Roche and in July of 2015, the couple got engaged with a little help from Ed Sheeran. Jake shared the moment on Instagram, showing him on one knee, proposing to Jesy on stage at the Manchester Arena as Sheeran plays a song in the background.

Due to Little Mix’s non-stop schedule and the pressure to perform, Jesy often endured bouts of exhaustion and physical injuries. In September of 2015, Little Mix was scheduled to perform their single” Black Magic” live on America’s Got Talent. The group was appearing with a gymnastic team called AcroArmy and part of the routine involved jumping off the stage. On the day of the performance, Jesy’s shoulder went out. In agony from the pain and unable to move, Jesy felt there was no way she would be able to perform. This was a big TV performance for Little Mix. Jesy felt she had no choice but to go through with the performance and figure out a way to endure the pain. In the band’s 2016 book “Our world: Our official biography” Jesy detailed how she received 50 injections so she could perform, despite the pain.
“I ended up at the doctor being given injections to numb my shoulder and I was in so much pain I was sobbing… In the end I had something like 50 injections and my back was smothered in bruises.”

In 2016, Glory Days became Little Mix’s first number 1 album in the UK. It was also the longest-reigning number one album from a girl group since the Spice Girls’ debut 20 years earlier. The album’s lead single “Shout out to my Ex” would top the UK singles chart for five weeks and was the fourth UK number-one single of the group’s career. Jesy embraced the band’s success saying “Little Mix was the best thing that ever happened to me” but there were glimpses that she was struggling with the pressure. Earlier that year, Jesy broke down in tears during the group’s “Get Weird Tour”  while introducing ‘Little Me’, a song about body confidence. Before the performance, Jesy addressed the crowd, saying “If you’re ever feeling really crap about yourself or not feeling confident, this is exactly why we wrote this song..”

The pressure to perform and constant touring was something all of the girls struggled with. Little Mix had been working almost constantly since winning the X-Factor in 2011. During an interview with The Observer, Jesy’s bandmate Leigh-Ann said “This year we’ve all bought houses, and none of us have slept in them.” Jesy added to Leigh-Ann’s comment saying “Because in the pop industry, it’s hard to pause. With pop music, if you go missing for more than a year, they’ve forgotten about you.” Later in that same interview, Jesy revealed a moment in which she struggled to pack for little Mix’s Glory Days tour. “I was looking at all of my suitcases on my floor and burst out crying. I was like, ‘I can’t do this.’ Literally, I nearly had a breakdown like, ‘I need help. This is too much. I just want to be home.’”

Jesy also described another experience with a fan. “I was at the airport and this 40-year-old woman got out of her car. And she just started crying and said: ‘I came to your concert a week ago and you girls made me the most confident I’ve ever felt in my life. The girls often go back and forth between “wishing they could be normal” and “Little Mix being the best thing that ever happened to them.”

In November of 2016, Jesy split from her fiancé Jake Roche after dating for more than a year.

In February of 2017, Little mix opened for the Brit awards, performing their breakup anthem, “Shout out to my Ex.” Later that night, Little Mix received their first Brit award, winning “Best British Single for Shout Out to My Ex.” Jesy described the evening as “Having the best night of my life”

In November of 2018, Little mix released their fifth studio album, LM5. The lead single, “Woman Like Me” was released the prior month and featured rapper Nicki Minaj. LM5 was also the last album Little Mix would release under Simon Cowell’s Sysco Music. The group split with the label just days prior to the album’s release and future albums would be released by RCA UK which is owned by Sony Music. That same month, Little Mix promoted the single “Strip” a song about self-acceptance, in an Instagram post by posing nude with negative comments they received written on their skin.
They captioned the post ‘Take off all my makeup cos I love what’s under it, Rub off all your words don’t give a f**k I’m over it, Jiggle all this weight, yeah you know I love all of this. Finally, love me naked. Sexiest when I’m confident.’ Jesy later revealed the reason behind the band’s departure from Simon Cowell’s record label. “So this is what happened. We so wanted to write a song like Strip and were so passionate about releasing it as our first single. We’d co-directed the video, we’d done the photoshoot, so we were excited. Obviously, when Woman Like Me was put on the table, in our heads Strip was going to be the first single

At the beginning of 2019, Jesy began dating Love Island contestant Chris Hughes and that March the couple made their relationship official sharing posts of each other on Instagram.

Little Mix performed “woman like me” at the 2019 Brit awards and later that night they received their second career Brit award with “Woman like me” winning the nomination for British Video of the year.

In September of 2019, Jesy released her intensely personal BBC documentary, “Odd One Out”. The documentary detailed her downward spiral as a result of the abuse she suffered online and her eventual slow recovery. She also explored how cyberbullying affects thousands of young people and the heartbreaking consequences it can have. It was also the first time Jesy spoke publicly about her attempted suicide and many of the struggles she endured in the spotlight. The documentary has earned praise from viewers and many felt it should be shown in schools and colleges around the world.

A few days after opening up about her documentary, Jesy got emotional during a Little Mix performance in Milan. Prior to the performance, Jesy told the crowd “. Anyone that is going through a struggle, is still going through a struggle, just know that you are not on your own ever and it’s all just part of life’s journey.” The group started singing “The cure”, a song about self-acceptance and Jesy was overcome with emotion breaking down in tears on stage. She was comforted by the rest of the girls and at one point, Jesy’s bandmate Perrie also looked close to tears.

In an interview after the documentary aired, Jesy said had she known the consequences of appearing on The X Factor, she wouldn’t have done it:
“I don’t think anything is worth your happiness, and it was a lot of my life that I won’t get back.”

Jesy also explained how she had become obsessed with reading criticism. “I had a routine of waking up, going on Twitter, searching for the worst things I could about myself. 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.” “Now I’m mentally a lot happier, I just think people are always going to have an opinion. But I only care about mine.”

In January of 2020, Jesy won a National Television Award in the “Best factual Entertainment category for her Documentary “Odd One Out.” After winning the award, Jesy gave an emotional speech saying “I’m so grateful that such a negative experience in my life turned into such a positive one.”
She also thanked those featured in her documentary saying “I want to thank every single person was in the documentary for being so brave and courageous to tell their own story to the world.”

In March of 2020, the world experienced shutdowns, curfews, and strict lockdowns due to the global pandemic. Little Mix was forced to cancel their 2020 Summer Tour but performed a virtual show called Uncancelled. The group also announced their “Confetti Tour”

Little Mix’s tour cancellation was not the only casualty of the pandemic. Many couples found themselves quarantined and isolated together during the pandemic and had trouble adjusting to the new relationship dynamic. In April, news broke that Chris and Jesy had split and were isolating separately due to coronavirus. According to sources, the split was very amicable with the couple acknowledging the relationship had run its course and the two remain good friends. The next month Jesy deleted all traces of Chris from her Instagram account and unfollowed him on Social Media.
In august of 2020, Jesy confirmed rumors that she and actor Sean Sager were dating after weeks of claiming they were just friends.
 
Little Mix continued to stay busy during the lockdown, releasing ‘Break Up Song’, ‘Holiday’, and ‘Sweet Melody.” The group also created their own reality talent TV show called Little Mix: The Search. Having found their own fame through The X-Factor, they hoped to pass their experience on to more hopefuls and find the next big UK group. Shortly before the show aired in September, Jesy suffered a panic attack onstage at the end of Little Mix’s first performance out of lockdown on Radio 1’s Live Lounge. The group had just finished performing their newest single holiday and were preparing to sing a cover of Harry Style’s Falling. Jesy could be seen in a video recording holding her hands up to show how much she was shaking as the rest of the group rushed to comfort her. Jesy confirmed she had a panic attack the next morning via Instagram saying:
“So my nerves got the better of me today. I had a panic attack right before we were about to sing this for live lounge today and like a pro, Perrie Edwards jumped in for my part last minute and smashed it.”

In November, Little Mix released their sixth studio album Confetti. The album was the group’s first since leaving Simon Cowell’s label Syco.
That same month, Little Mix performed a medley of their songs Holiday and Touch on their BBC Show, Little Mix: The search. The appearance would be Jesy’s last performance with Little Mix. A couple of days later on November 8th, Jesy missed The Final of the Band’s TV show “Little Mix: The search” The group’s publicist Simon Jones revealed in a statement: “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 European Music awards”

On November 17th, Simon Jones released a statement that 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.”
On December 13th Jesy missed the group’s performance on Strictly come Dancing. Singing “Break Up Song” from their latest album Confetti, Little Mix performed as a trio. One month after taking an “extended leave” from Little Mix, Jesy announced that she was parting ways with the group.
She posted a message to fans on Instagram which read:
‘To all my Mixers, the past nine years in Little Mix has been the most incredible time of my life. ‘We have achieved things I never thought possible. From winning our first Brit Award to our sold-out shows at the O2. ‘Making friends and fans all over the world I can’t thank you all enough from the bottom of my heart for making me feel like the luckiest girl in the world. You have always been there to support and encourage me and I will never ever forget it. ‘The truth is recently being in the band has really taken a toll on my mental health. I find the constant pressure of being in a girl group and living up to expectations very hard.’There comes a time in life when we need to reinvest in taking care of ourselves rather than focusing on making other people happy, and I feel like now is the time to begin that process. ‘So after much consideration and with a heavy heart, I’m announcing I’m leaving Little Mix.’ ‘I need to spend some time with the people I love, doing things that make me happy.
‘I’m ready to embark on a new chapter in my life. I’m not sure what it’s going to look like right now, but I hope you’ll still be there to support.
Since then Jesy has received an outpouring of love on social media and fans thanked her for an incredible nine years.