Jesy Nelson tipped for reality TV career switch
Jesy Nelson is reportedly considering a move into reality television, with the former Little Mix star said to be in talks over joining The Only Way Is Essex following a year of campaigning for greater awareness of spinal muscular atrophy.
Jesy Nelson is reportedly in talks to swap the recording studio for reality television.
The former Little Mix star, 35, could be set to join the cast of The Only Way Is Essex in what would mark a major new chapter following a year dominated by her daughters’ serious health challenges.
Jesy, who rose to fame after winning The X Factor with Little Mix before leaving the group in 2020, is said to be considering a role on the long-running ITV2 reality series and is reportedly gearing up to meet with members of the production team and cast to explore how she could fit into the programme, potentially alongside fellow Essex personalities Lauren Goodger and Amy Childs.
The reports come as Jesy continues to attract attention for her campaigning work around spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) after her 13-month-old twin daughters, Ocean Jade and Story Monroe, were diagnosed with the condition.
A source told The Sun about her alleged TV move: “It’s a total natural fit.”
The insider added: “Jesy is from Essex and knows a lot of the cast anyway so it’s not going to feel forced. She’s been talking a lot to Lauren and Amy Childs in particular so it’s likely she’ll be a part of their glam mums’ group.”
The insider continued: “While nothing is confirmed yet, to even have Jesy in talks for the show is a huge deal for Towie.
“She’s an internationally famous Essex girl who was part of one of the world’s most successful girl groups – to say they’re excited would be an understatement.”
The speculation about the singer’s TV move gathered pace after Jesy appeared to reference the ITV2 programme on social media last week, recreating a memorable shopping scene involving Lauren and Carol Wright.
Alongside the video, she wrote: “Anyone that really knows me knows how much I bloody love Towie. Flipping love these two. #iconicqueens.”
The reported move follows the release of Jesy’s six-part Amazon documentary series Life After Little Mix, which chronicled her life with Ocean Jade and Story Monroe.
Her programme documented the family’s experience after the twins were diagnosed with SMA, a rare genetic condition that causes progressive muscle weakness and wastage.
Jesy has since become one of the most prominent campaigners for earlier detection of the condition.
She launched a petition calling for SMA to be included in routine newborn blood spot screening and met Health Secretary Wes Streeting in January to discuss the issue.
Jesy said earlier this year: “It has caused a lot of commotion and it's been amazing because the SMA community have been screaming and shouting about this for years, and it'’ never been taken seriously.”
In February, Jesy became a patron of SMA UK.
In May, it was confirmed that around 750,000 newborns across the UK will be screened for SMA as part of a major study examining whether the test should become a standard part of post-birth health checks.
Jesy has also spoken publicly about the complications she experienced during pregnancy, including twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, a condition caused by abnormal blood vessel connections in the placenta that can lead to an uneven blood supply between twins.
