Liam Payne says Zayn left One Direction for the same reasons Jesy left Little Mix

16 December 2020, 11:49

Liam Payne says Zayn left 1D for the same reasons Jesy left Little Mix

Sam  Prance

By Sam Prance

Liam Payne took to TikTok to send his love to Jesy Nelson and Little Mix following Jesy's departure.

Liam Payne has compared Jesy Nelson leaving Little Mix to Zayn leaving One Direction in a recent TikTok live with his fans.

On Monday (Dec 14), Little Mix announced that Jesy Nelson had left the girl group. In a statement, remaining members Jade Thirlwall, Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Perrie Edwards wrote: "After an amazing 9 years together Jesy has made the decision to leave Little Mix. This is an incredibly sad time for all of us but we are fully supportive of Jesy. We love her very much."

Jesy then released her own statement. She explained: "The truth is recently being in the band has taken a toll on my mental health. I find the constant pressure of being in a girl group and living up to expectations really hard." Jesy also thanked the Little Mix fans, as well as Jade, Leigh-Anne and Perrie for creating "some of the most amazing memories" with her.

Now, Liam Payne has taken to TikTok to send his love to Jesy and Little Mix and open up about Zayn leaving One Direction.

Liam Payne says Zayn left One Direction for the same reasons Jesy left Little Mix
Liam Payne says Zayn left One Direction for the same reasons Jesy left Little Mix. Picture: @liampayne via TikTok, Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney

In a live TikTok video yesterday (Dec 15), Liam joked: "Someone Zayn-ed out." He then corrected himself and said: "No, let's be serious about this. It's always sad, at this moment in time, when bands get into this sort of thing." Liam then compared it to Zayn and 1D: "Having been there myself, I feel like Zayn had left for pretty much the same reasons in a weird way."

Liam continued: "I wish Jesy all the best. I wish the girls all the best in carrying on as a three. It's a tough time and I do feel for them because everyone's watching in that little fish bowl and no one really understands what's going on or how it feels for some people. Sending a lot of love to Little Mix."

When Zayn left One Direction, he said: "I'd like to apologise to the fans if I've let anyone down, but I have to do what feels right in my heart. I am leaving because I want to be a normal 22-year-old who is able to relax and have some private time out of the spotlight. I know I have four friends for life in Louis, Liam, Harry and Niall."

Similarly, in Jesy's statement, she wrote: "There comes a time in life when we need to reinvest in taking care of ourselves rather than focusing on what makes other people happy. She added: "I need to spend time with the people I love, doing things that make me happy. I'm ready to embark on a new chapter in my life."

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Throughout Jesy's time in Little Mix, she's been incredibly honest about the trolling she's faced and how it's affected her mental health. Her award-winning documentary Odd One Out is essential viewing. We wish her all the best in her future endeavours and are sending all our love and support to her, as well as Jade, Leigh-Anne and Perrie.