Ex-Little Mix star's candid docuseries is a revelation

Roisin O'Connor finds much to admire in the first episode of 'Jesy Nelson: Life After Little Mix', as the star opens up about her high-risk pregnancy and rocky time in the pop spotlight

- Roisin O'Connor

When Jesy Nelson invited documentary makers into her home, she had no idea that just two days in, she’d be rushed to hospital for an emergency operation.

Four months pregnant, she needed surgery to treat twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, a life-threatening condition in which twins share a placenta but have unbalanced blood flow. The former Little Mix singer remained in hospital for the next three months until her babies were born prematurely; they’ve since been diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy type 1, a disease that causes muscle wastage. Doctors told Nelson it was unlikely her twins will ever be able to walk.

In the first episode of Amazon Prime’s six-part series, Jesy Nelson: Life After Little Mix, we witness startlingly candid scenes involving the 34-year-old pop star as she navigates a series of devastating revelations about her pregnancy. At the same time, she is unpacking her experiences as a member of one of the biggest girl groups the UK has ever seen – with much teasing of an upcoming reveal surrounding the “real reason” she quit the band back in 2020.

Nelson was born in Romford, east London, the second youngest of four children to parents who separated when she was five. From a young age, she knew she wanted to entertain people – whether through singing, dancing or acting, she wasn’t sure. She just knew she wanted to make people smile. She got off to a rocky start, scarred first by a croaky debut performance at stage school and later by a fateful audition for