Premiering in September 2004, The X Factor ran for 15 seasons and produced stars like One Direction. In 2011, a pop group called Little Mix walked away with the eighth series title. Consisting of Jade Thirlwall, Perrie Edwards, Jesy Nelson, and Leigh-Anne Pinnock, the quartet became the first group to win the British version of the show. They have since gone on to reach seven studio albums, with the last one, Between Us, coming in 2021. But if Thirlwall is being honest, she’s glad to see The X Factor off the air.
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Why ‘The X Factor’ Needed To End, According to Jade Thirlwall
Jade Thirlwall was just 15 years old when she first auditioned for The X Factor, getting the boot at the elimination stage. After an unsuccessful return in 2010, the third time was the charm. Thirlwall linked up with her Little Mix bandmates, and the foursome rode it all the way to the end.
In a recent interview with The Independent, Thirlwall admitted she wasn’t exactly sad to see the show’s swan song in 2018.
“I think it had to end,” said the 32-year-old pop star. “I don’t think that kind of show can exist any more. We’re in a different place now.”
Radio star Rylan Clark has opened up on his own trauma stemming from his time on The X Factor in 2012. The fifth-place finisher says he was cast as “the joke act, the one everyone would speak about and be on the front page of the paper every day.”
Clark’s experience speaks to Thirlwall’s point. “We wouldn’t put someone that’s mentally unwell on a TV screen and laugh at them while they sing terribly,” she said. “The concept of a joke act on a show is just cruel. It’s all very Roman empire.”
[RELATED: ‘X Factor’ Star Clears the Air About Her Ongoing Feud With Simon Cowell]
She continued, “But then at the same time, was it not the best training ever for me to enter the music industry?”
Jade Thirlwall Has a New Single Coming Out
Little Mix went on hiatus in 2022, more than a decade after winning The X Factor. Since then, each member has pursued their own individual careers. Last July, Jade Thirlwall released her first-ever solo single, “Angel Of My Dreams,” which peaked at No. 7 on the UK singles chart.
Her third single, “It Girl,” will hit the airwaves this Friday (Jan. 10.)
Featured image by Dymond/Thames/Syco/Shutterstock
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