Jesy Nelson’s Hardest Year

Jesy Nelson has spoken openly about the toll of online abuse, motherhood and health advocacy in her new Prime Video documentary, Life After Little Mix.

The former Little Mix star, who rose to fame on The X Factor in 2011, says years of social media trolling had a damaging effect on her mental health. Now a mother to twin girls, Ocean and Story, she has voiced support for restricting social media use for under-16s in the UK, while acknowledging concerns around peer pressure and bullying.

The documentary follows Nelson’s pregnancy and the serious medical challenges that followed. During pregnancy, doctors discovered the twins had Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome, a rare and potentially life-threatening condition. After surgery and a lengthy hospital stay, Nelson gave birth prematurely in May at 31 weeks.

Months later, further tests revealed Ocean and Story had Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Type 1, a severe genetic condition that causes progressive muscle weakness. The twins have since received a one-off gene infusion designed to preserve remaining muscle function, though doctors have said they are unlikely to walk or regain neck strength. They continue to attend hospital twice weekly due to side effects from the treatment.

Nelson says she allowed cameras to document her experience so she could later show her daughters what they overcame, adding that the purpose of the project changed dramatically after their diagnosis.

The series also explores her departure from Little Mix in 2020, her solo career and the controversy surrounding her debut single Boyz featuring Nicki Minaj, which sparked accusations of blackfishing—claims she later said were never her intention.

Nelson has also joined calls for SMA to be added to the UK’s newborn heel-prick screening. Last month, she met Health Secretary Wes Streeting, after which the Department of Health confirmed a large-scale NHS screening trial is planned, with two-thirds of babies to be tested from next year.