Leigh-Anne Pinnock vows to 'always be there' for Jesy Nelson following twins' 'heartbreaking' diagnosis
10 March 2026, 14:01 | Updated: 10 March 2026, 14:02
Little Mix star Leigh-Anne Pinnock branded her former bandmate Jesy Nelson 'incredible' as she continues her fight for life-saving SMA tests.
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Leigh-Anne Pinnock has promised to 'always be there' for Jesy Nelson after she opened up about the former Little Mix star in a rare comment on Monday.
The singer, 34, branded her ex-bandmate 'incredible' as the Boyz singer faces the daily reality that her ten-month-old twins may not live past two-years-old due to their 'heartbreaking' condition.
In January this year, Jesy, 34, revealed that her daughters, Ocean Jade and Story Monroe, had been diagnosed with a rare muscle-wasting condition called Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 1 (SMA1).
Now, Leigh-Anne has addressed the baby girls' devastating disease and reassured fans that she and the rest of the band are there to support Jesy no matter what.
Speaking on The Smallzy Show, she told host Kent Small: "It's heartbreaking, just awful. Obviously I did reach out to her. It's just the worst thing ever.
"I think she's really incredible for spreading that awareness. I think that's the special thing about us. We will always be there."
- READ MORE: Jesy Nelson shares emotional story of twins’ SMA diagnosis and calls for government action
It seemed as though Jesy and her former bandmates, including Jade Thirlwall and Perrie Edwards, had distanced themselves from one another since the Essex star quit Little Mix back in 2020.
But Leigh-Anne has since insisted that "supporting each other has always been so important", revealing that they have all reached out to the mum-of-two during this difficult time.
Speaking to Heart Breakfast's JK and Kelly Brook, she previously said: "Obviously reached out to her when we heard what was happening with her twins. It’s just devastating.
"We’ve all reached out to her and I think she is really brave for what she is doing. But yeah, obviously me
Perrie and Jade are super close as well.
"I think just supporting each other has always been so important to us. You can imagine we were all together for so long, we are sisters and yeah, I think that relationship is really important to us."
Along with navigating life with her two young babies, who were born prematurely in May 2025, Jesy is also healing from a break-up.
She and the twins' father, Zion Foster, broke off their engagement in early 2026 but vowed to focus on co-parenting their daughters as friends.
The pop star is also busy campaigning for the NHS to include a check for SMA1 in the standard heel prick test.
In February, Jesy officially become a patron of SMA UK and has been tirelessly raising awareness in a bid to support other families going through the same experience.
Her petition has reached over 10,000 signatures, which means Parliament must consider the issue for debate.
For now, she's parked her music career as she stays laser-focused on making beautiful memories with her two daughters.
She told Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden on Heart Breakfast: "Look, listen, I’d never say never to music, but for me, my girls are my main focus.
"I’ll be honest with you, I’ve not got time, I really don’t. They are my whole heart and soul and my main focus, and I want to continue advocating for them and getting this heel prick test changed and getting them strong, that’s my main focus.
"Because that’s going to determine their future. That’s my main focus right now."
- READ MORE: Who is Jesy Nelson's ex-boyfriend Zion Foster? Age, music and why they split revealed
- READ MORE: Jesy Nelson reveals 'traumatic' reason why she split from fiancé Zion Foster
