13 facts to make you fall in love with JADE ✨
We're utterly OBSESSED with her debut album
Fans of Jade Thirlwall have utterly loved seeing the former Little Mix singer thrive as a solo artist. After JADE's BRIT Award nominated debut track 'Angel Of My Dreams' was released in July 2024, her debut solo album 'That's Showbiz, Baby!' was released in September 2025 - it's safe to say she is absolutely smashing it.
After the news that a second album is already on the way, now feels like the perfect time to get to know Jade just a little bit better - so we've gathered together 13 interesting facts about the superstar.
1) She's from South Shields
Jade is a Geordie lass just like her fellow Little Mix-er Perrie. The girls are both from South Shields, and despite only living a few miles from each other, never met until they came face to face at The X Factor! Jade is one-quarter Yemeni and one-quarter Egyptian through her mum Norma Badwi.
2) She loves going back to her hometown
Little Mix often travelled the world, spending time away from their loved ones for months. So whenever Jade gets an opportunity to go back to her hometown, the 'Black Magic' singer spends quality time with her friends and family, often posting photos of her night out on social media.
Jade has even frequented the charity sea dip in South Shields, for charity, braving the cold North Sea alongside hundreds of other fundraisers.
It was announced in October 2025 that Jade was being honoured with the Freedom of the Borough by South Tyneside Council, with council leader Tracey Dixon saying she "could not be more deserving of the marvellous tribute."
Apparently, she earned the title due to "her outstanding contribution as a cultural ambassador and her ongoing commitment to South Tyneside," while councillor David Francis, added that she'd used her "platform to speak out and amplify the voices of the marginalised."
She then received the commendation in December 2025, taking to Instagram to share how proud she was: 'What an honour this was, with my family and friends all by my side - my only wish was that my grandparents and great aunt could have been there, all dressed up, celebrating together. Maybe they were 🌌.' (sic)
Congratulations to Jade! 👏
3) She is curating a specific sound as a solo artist
After months of teasing from the studio, the singer released her debut solo single 'Angel Of My Dreams' on 19th July 2024.
Jade also dropped the sensational music video the same day, portraying her "love/hate relationship with the music industry" - and fans of the star flooded her YouTube premiere comments with messages of support and love!
Not only that, but on 25th September 2024, just two months after her debut single's drop, Jade released another track, as a 'gift' to fans. The track was called 'Midnight Cowboy', featuring a vocal cameo from than former Doctor Who and Sex Education star Ncuti Gatwa!
But JADE was very clear from the get-go that she wanted to do things slightly differently as a solo artist, rather than the clean-cut path of the traditional pop star that Little Mix followed. She told NME in September 2025: "I want people to feel like they’re literally hearing me find my sound.
"Obviously, my voice is a running thread and maybe some of the concepts, but it is a bit all over the place. And I wanted it to sound like that. I want you to listen and be like, ‘Oh god, what’s she coming out with next?'"
4) She has a super cute relationship with her mum Norma
Jade is incredibly close to her mum Norma Badwi, often sharing photos on social media with her and attending Little Mix gigs together - Norma even enjoys the odd night out with Jade! Her song 'Unconditional' is even written about her.
5) She sang 'I Want to Hold Your Hand' by The Beatles at her X Factor audition
Jade actually auditioned for The X Factor three times - first in 2008 and again in 2010 before trying out a third time in 2011 and going through to Boot Camp.
6) Jade was put into a group with Leigh-Anne
She was originally put into a group called Orion with Leigh-Anne, and when they failed to go through, they were introduced to another failed band called Faux Pas with Jesy and Perrie in... And the rest is history! The first time they performed together was in the Judges' Houses round where they performed a beautiful version of 'Big Girls Don't Cry' by Fergie.
7) Jade is a songwriter too
Although all the girls in Little Mix are credited as songwriters on their albums, Leigh-Anne and Jade have a special gift for writing, and signed to Sony's TwentySeven publishers as songwriters in April 2019!
8) She's best friends with her bandmates
Ok, we know this one is a given, but their special bond is always worth mentioning. After striking up an amazing friendship after meeting on The X Factor, the trio are always giving us serious friendship goals.
Whether it's having each others' backs, posing for hilarious photos together, or supporting each other on stage, the Little Mix bond is unbreakable! The girls even got matching tattoos following the start of their hiatus in 2022.
9) She throws the most epic party for her birthday EVERY year!
Jade has started quite the tradition of hosting a themed birthday party just before Christmas in recent years. To celebrate her 25th birthday, Jade held a drag queen-themed party, inviting some of the world's most famous drag queens to help celebrate alongside her Little Mix army.
For her 26th birthday, Jade hosted an 'Icon' party, dressing up as her idol Diana Ross, whilst Leigh-Anne turned up as none other than Rihanna.
And Jade's 30th in 2022 was no different - with Jade hosting an 'iconic red carpet looks' party. It's fair to say that Jade took our breath away as she rocked a recreation of Lil' Kim's famous purple jumpsuit look, from the 1999 MTV VMAs.
THEN in 2023, she transformed herself into the Jade Bratz Doll - looking eerily like the actual doll!
...And let's not forget her Halloween 2023 costume as none other than Mr. Bean!
10) She's humble despite her fame
In June 2019, Jade was over the moon as she actually got to meet her idol, Diana Ross! Taking to Instagram, she posted a photo of the memorable moment for her fans to see and telling them she 'couldn't believe it'!
She went on to explain how she had surprised her mum by flying them out to Las Vegas to see Diana Ross, creating 'a mother/daughter memory I will cherish forever'. Cute!
11) She does a lot for charity
All of the Little Mix girls do their bit for charity, but every Boxing Day, on her birthday, Jade returns to her hometown of South Shields to take part in the infamous 'Boxing Day dip' in the North Sea for the charity Cancer Connections.
As she documented on her Instagram page, the 2018 dip was extra important to Jade, with her writing: 'Running into the North Sea as is birthday tradition to raise money for Cancer Connections.
'Especially close to ours hearts this year, as our Nana Pam passed away last month and Cancer Connections were incredible to us and to my beautiful Nana ♥️ I couldn’t be more proud to be patron to such a wonderful charity who help so many in so many ways.' (sic)
Not only that, but after weeks of training, a bunch of well-known celebs including Jade and Leigh-Anne reached the top of Mount Kilimanjaro in aid of Comic Relief in March 2019.
Sharing some super sweet snaps of her and her bestie, Jade wrote on Instagram: 'Don’t think I felt this cuddle I had that many layers on and was frozen to the bone 😂 but we did it! We climbed Kilimanjaro!'
12) She's an LGBTQ+ ally
Jade is also a well-known ally of the LGBTQ+ community, and collected an award at the LGBT Awards 2019 on behalf of Little Mix for Change Makers. Whilst collecting the award, Jade made a speech, saying: "I just want to say, it’s really not hard to be an ally. Anyone in this room, just educate yourself, support the LGBT community, especially when you see things that aren’t right.
"Don’t be that person in the playground who watches somebody get kicked down and you just stand there going, 'Oh, it’s not my business'. It is your business and change will happen quicker with allyship."
13) She's not afraid to take the mick out of herself
Jade also never takes herself too seriously, and often posts hilarious photos of herself on Instagram. To celebrate Little Mix's single 'Holiday' in July 2020, Jade shared a series of holiday throwback photos that were equal parts hilarious and adorable!
Just one scroll down Jade's Instagram feed will show you just how funny she is! After Little Mix released their incredible single and video for 'Bounce Back', Jade shared a video of herself being hit in the face with a beach ball - leaving fans in hysterics.
Scroll through to see JADE's career timeline so far:
2008 - JADE's first audition on The X Factor
JADE first auditioned on The X Factor back in 2008 at the age of just 15. Singing Whitney Houston's song 'Where Do Broken Hearts Go', the Geordie girl impressed Louis Walsh, Cheryl Tweedy and Simon Cowell enough to be sent through to the bootcamp stage, but unfortunately she didn't progress any further.
Undeterred, JADE auditioned on The X Factor again in 2010, but once again it wasn't to be. Matt Cardle won the competition that year, with One Direction being runners up.
2011 - Little Mix won The X Factor
It was third time lucky for JADE as she won The X Factor as part of Little Mix. It wasn't an easy ride though as she failed the first bootcamp challenge to get through to the girls category. Luckily for JADE, she was brought back as part of a three-piece group along with Leigh-Anne Pinnock, while Perrie Edwards and Jesy Nelson returned in another group. Despite both groups being eliminated from the competition, it was decided that the four girls would be brought back as a four-piece group. They went on to win the competition, becoming the first group to do so. And as they say, the rest is history.
2019 - RuPaul's Drag Race UK appearance
During her time in the band, JADE appeared as a guest judge on RuPaul's Drag Race UK alongside RuPaul, Michelle Visage and Graham Norton. She was in the episode Girl Group Battle Royale, which was the fifth episode of season one and aired in October. Ahead of her appearance, she tweeted: 'THIS IS A DREAM COME TRUE FOR ME I'M NOT OKAY.' She was such a popular addition to the show that she returned in 2022.
This was a busy year for JADE - aside from her RuPaul appearance and hard work as one-quarter of Little Mix, she also opened a cocktail bar in her hometown of South Shields. Originally called Red Door, it was changed to Arbeia in 2020, which was also the year she opened a nightclub called Industry just next door.
She also climbed Mount Kilimanjaro with Leigh-Anne to raise money for Comic Relief's Red Nose Day. The 10-day trek took its toll on JADE, who wrote on Instagram: 'Climbing Kilimanjaro was mentally and physically exhausting, and by far the hardest thing I have ever done! I am unbelievably proud of myself for pushing myself to the limit and discovering a strength I never knew I had.'
2021 - JADE appeared on The Great Stand Up to Cancer Bake Off
Appearing on The Great Stand Up to Cancer Bake Off for charity alongside KSI, Stacey Dooley and Katherine Ryan, JADE was crowned the winner of her episode. The singer wowed Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith with her recreation of one of the group's concerts in front of thousands of biscuit fans. Upon winning, JADE told the camera: "I can't believe it, I'm in shock! My mam will be so proud. I think I might even frame my apron or just start wearing it all the time to remind myself."
She also won the Allyship award at the Gay Times Honours.
2022 - Little Mix announce their hiatus
Following the departure of Jesy Nelson, Little Mix announced that they were taking a break from the group after they'd finished their 'Confetti Tour', which took place in 2022. They wrote: 'We are not splitting up - Little Mix are here to stay 💫 We have plans for more music, tours and performances in the future. We've made so many incredible memories with you all, and we can't wait to make so many more.'
2024 - 'Angel Of My Dreams' and 'Midnight Cowboy'
JADE released her first solo song in 2024, the incredible tune 'Angel Of My Dreams' on Friday 19th July 2024, with a first official play on-air the previous evening. The sensational video came out on the Friday, with JADE using it to show her "love/hate relationship with the music industry". Fans were utterly obsessed from the get-go, with many flooding the comments section of her YouTube premiere with words of praise and encouragement. It's safe to say it's a hit!
It wasn't too long for fans to wait for new music following this release, as JADE put out 'Midnight Cowboy' in September. On 22nd September, JADE teased that she was set to release another bop - featuring a very familiar voice! Ncuti Gatwa, who fans know from his starring roles in titles such as Sex Education, Doctor Who and Barbie, lent his voice to the song and also appeared in the video. Shortly after the teaser clip was shared, JADE wrote: 'I didn't want you all to have to wait so long for music again'. As well as reportedly working with RAYE on writing the song, Ncuti's voice can be heard in the opening of the track.
2025 - Wins her first solo BRIT Award
JADE released her first single of the year on Friday 10th January, another banger called 'IT Girl', which JADE described as the "little sister" of 'Angel of My Dreams'. Also that month, it was revealed JADE was up for two awards at the BRIT Awards 2025 with Mastercard. Her debut single 'Angel Of My Dreams' was nominated for Song of the Year, while JADE herself was up for Pop Act! At the event on 1st March, JADE was announced as the winner of Pop Act, beating tough competition from Charli XCX, Dua Lipa, Lola Young and Myles Smith, while Song of the Year went to Charli XCX for 'Guess' featuring Billie Eilish. At the event, JADE also put on a memorable performance of her debut solo 'Angel Of My Dreams'.
She then put out yet another single. Released on 14th March 2025, JADE's song 'FUFN' is all about "channelling female rage". She told us in an interview: "I think for me this one is my sort of 'all guns blazing', big pop moment."
Later that month, JADE was announced as part of the Glastonbury Festival line-up. She performed on Saturday 28th on the Woodsies Stage, on the same day as Charli XCX, RAYE and Neil Young.
2025 - JADE released debut solo album
JADE released her debut solo album 'That's Showbiz Baby!' on 12th September 2025 ahead of her solo tour. The album features 14 songs including her amazing debut solo hit 'Angel of My Dreams'. Then on 5th December she released 'That's Showbiz Baby! The Encore', which feature an additional eight songs.
Following the release of her debut album, JADE went on her UK and Ireland tour. The tour started in Dublin on 7th October, before she travelled across the UK, ending in Newcastle on 23rd October.
In November that year, fellow Geordie Cheryl presented JADE with her Musician of the Year Award, at the Harpers Bazaar Women of the Year Awards 2025. Speaking about JADE, Cheryl said: "She and I have a lot in common: we're both from the north-east of England and we both grew up determined to follow our dreams of making it in the world of pop music.
"It takes a lot of courage to audition for a talent show, not least one that's going to be broadcast on national television, where people will be following your every move. It takes energy and passion to thrive as part of a chart-topping, record-smashing girl band. But it takes even more bravery to go it alone as a musician, and the singer I'm about to welcome on this stage has done exactly that."
2025: Awarded the Freedom of South Tyneside
It was announced in October 2025 that JADE would receive the Freedom of the Borough from South Tyneside Council, with council leader Tracey Dixon saying she "could not be more deserving of the marvellous tribute," adding that she was nominated due to "her outstanding contribution as a cultural ambassador and her ongoing commitment to South Tyneside." Councillor David Francis praised how she'd used her "platform to speak out and amplify the voices of the marginalised."
JADE received the incredible commendation on 18th December 2025, writing on Instagram: 'I was very nervous as I don't really enjoy public speaking but looking around the room I reminded myself I was surrounded by people I love and who got me to where I am today. What an honour this was, with my family and friends all by my side - my only wish was that my grandparents and great aunt could have been there, all dressed up, celebrating together. Maybe they were 🌌 .' (sic)
2026: Collaborates with Lily Allen
In May 2026, JADE joined forces with Lily Allen to release a remix of her 2025 single 'Beg For Me'. Lily teased the announcement on social media, by dropping a snippet of footage showing the bottom half of JADE's face, writing: 'Guess who… Beg For Me Remix TONIGHT at midnight'. It then dropped on 29th May.
You can hear Little Mix's biggest hits on Downtown Radio.
Author: Alex Ross
Alex Ross is a Digital Content Editor across Rayo brands, including the Hits Radio Network, Greatest Hits Radio, KISS, Cool FM and Magic Radio. After beginning her career as a Marketing Intern with Bauer Media in 2016, she transitioned into digital editorial and has spent the past decade creating engaging content for millions of readers. Whether it’s reality shows, sitcoms, gritty crime dramas or hard-hitting documentaries, Alex is an expert in all things TV, as well as knowing the ins and outs of celebrities.
Additional content by Emma Dodds.