Fans have reacted after Jade Thirlwall appeared to reference her former Little Mix co-star Jesy Nelson, over her exit from the band.
In December 2020, Nelson left the pop group citing the “toll” it had taken on her mental health. She has since embarked on a solo career, releasing “Boyz” – a collaboration with US rapper Nicki Minaj – in October last year.
Serving as a guest judge on Tuesday’s (1 March) episode of Drag Race vs the World, Thirlwall watched the five remaining contestants perform a song for her, RuPaul and the other judges, including Michelle Visage and Graham Norton.
The pop singer had helped the queens when they were recording individual verses earlier on in the episode prior to performing.
When on the panel, RuPaul asked Thirlwall: “How did recording with the queens compare to recording with Little Mix?”
“Oh it’s just the same really,” replied the singer. “I bossed everyone around and there’s an ugly rumour going around that one of the girls is leaving the group tonight.”
Visage and RuPaul burst into laughter over the joke, which viewers interpreted to be a reference to Nelson’s exit from the girl group.
“Jade throwing shade at Jesy. I. AM… LIVING,” one fan wrote.
Another added: “Jade shading Jesy best part of drag race so far.”
“Audibly gasped at jade throwing immense shade at Jesy,” wrote a third viewer.
Someone else wrote: “JADE JUST FULL ON SHADED JESY ON INTERNATIONAL TV.”
Announcing her exit on Instagram in 2020, Nelson said that she found “the constant pressure of being in a girl group and living up to expectations very hard”.
Her former bandmates – Thirlwall, Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Perrie Edwards – said it was “an incredibly sad time for all of us but we are fully supportive of Jesy”.
The remaining members of Little Mix announced they were taking a hiatus in 2022 to pursue individual projects.
