As one fourth of the world’s biggest girl band Little Mix, Jesy Nelson is no stranger to the spotlight, and the intense media scrutiny it brings.
The 27-year-old singer has been vocal about her struggles with online bullying in the past, revealing that she’d been the target on continuous online trolling following the formation of the girl group on The X Factor in 2011.
Now, the Little Mix singer is sharing her experiences of living in the public eye in a brand new BBC documentary about issues surrounding body image and mental health in the age of social media.
The new documentary, which has the working title [i]Jesy Nelson: My Story[/I], will look at how growing up in a social media-fuelled age of selfies, body shaming and trolling is having a profound impact on the mental health of young people.
Taking to her Instagram to share the news, Jesy, 27, explained she’ll be telling her own personal story in the documentary.
“So I can finally announce that I am making a film with the BBC and it’s a subject that’s really, really close to my heart and it’s about mental health awareness,” she announced.
“One in four men and women suffer from mental health and it’s a subject that I personally think we don’t speak about enough, and I’m making this film because I really, really want to make a change to other people’s lives.”
The announcement comes just days after fellow band member Leigh-Anne Pinnock opened up about dealing with online racism in her first solo interview with GLAMOUR.
In an official BBC statement, Jesy said: “This is a project really close to my heart, and I’m delighted to be working with the BBC on a documentary that will both challenge me personally and also highlight a hugely important issue affecting young people today.”
Fiona Campbell, Controller of BBC Three, added: “BBC Three has a rich history of delivering impactful films and we’re really pleased that we can provide a platform for Jesy to tell her story. As a young female in a successful girl band where intense scrutiny from the public is the norm, Jesy offers a unique perspective on the impact social media can have on an individual and their mental health. It promises to be an eye-opening watch, full of universal themes which will no doubt resonate with our audience.”
The documentary will premiere exclusively on BBC Three before it airs on BBC One.
