Former Little Mix star Perrie Edwards has said she has not spoken to ex-bandmate Jesy Nelson “for a long time”.

The 31-year-old singer told Cosmopolitan she “would rather it went differently” after Nelson, 33, quit the group in 2020, citing mental health issues.

Little Mix were formed in 2011, after Edwards, Nelson, Jade Thirlwall and Leigh-Anne Pinnock auditioned for the X Factor as solo artists.

They were eventually grouped together, after a number of failures during the show’s bootcamp section.

Perrie Edwards in a green top and white skirt
Perrie Edwards has said she would ‘rather it went differently’ when Jesy Nelson left Little Mix (Kaj Jeffries/Cosmopolitan/PA)

The band went on to sell an estimated 60 million records worldwide, achieving five UK number one singles and seven UK top 10 albums, initially continuing without Nelson before going on hiatus in 2022.

On her relationship with Nelson, Edwards said: “We don’t talk, and haven’t done for a long time, It’s really sad, it’s heart-breaking.

“But sometimes these things happen and people decide they want to part ways, and that’s absolutely fine.

“I would rather it went differently, but you can’t control how things go.”

Edwards, who had a son, Axl, in 2021, said she had to find the “confidence” to perform alone after the band were put on hold, and said going solo had changed her in a way similar to motherhood.

She added: “Having a baby changes you completely, and going solo has as well.

“I’ve had to find an inner confidence to do it on my own, without the girls as a comfort blanket.”

Edwards has released the singles Forget About Us and Tears in 2024, and is planning to release her debut solo album.

The Black Magic singer also spoke about her own mental health, and said her anxiety was “probably the worst it’s ever been”.

Edwards said: “It started to consume me, It’s horrible.

“I try to speak out about it, because when you feel so anxious or scared of panic attacks. It makes you feel so isolated.

“It stops your everyday life because you try to avoid situations where you might have one, even though you can’t predict it.

“I have therapy and coping mechanisms. You can never get rid of it, so you have to learn to live with it.”

She said Girls Aloud star Cheryl Tweedy had provided her with support in the industry, and described her as “just the best”.

Edwards added that her fiance, Besiktas footballer Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, had also supported her through tough times.

She added: “He’s just the best person I’ve ever met in my entire life. I’m obsessed with him, and so content in my relationship.

“He’s so supportive, well natured and everything I’ve ever wanted. He’s also the funniest person I’ve ever met. I could cry when I talk about him, I love him so much.”

The singer said she had been looking at wedding dresses online, but was in no hurry to get married.

Perrie Edwards on the cover of Cosmopolitan
Perrie Edwards will feature on the cover of the next edition of Cosmopolitan UK (Kaj Jeffries/Cosmopolitan)

Edwards said: “I want a bit more time to plan and enjoy it. I don’t want to do it on top of releasing an album and being a mum. I want to enjoy the process. I like being engaged.”

She added that her “dream” was to star in a musical film similar to The Greatest Showman, in the next decade, and added that she would also like to do voiceover work for Disney.

But she said future plans would depend on how successful her music is.

Edwards added: “I’m honestly just going with the flow right now.

“It’s all dependent on how your music does, and you don’t know what the future holds. I’m just learning as I go. But I want to do what I love and be happy.”

The singer will feature on the cover of Cosmopolitan UK’s August/September issue, which will be released on Tuesday, July 16.