JADE says she owes ‘80% of my success to the gays’ on Harriet Rose’s new podcast
JADE has long been vocal about LGBTQ+ rights and is widely recognised as an ally, often using her platform to speak out on issues affecting marginalised communities
By Callum Wells
JADE has opened up about the impact the LGBTQ+ community has had on her life and career, saying she “owes a lot” of her success to queer fans, friends and collaborators.
The singer – who first rose to fame as a member of BRIT Award-winning girl group Little Mix – appears as the first guest on ITV and KISS presenter Harriet Rose’s new podcast By The Way… With Harriet Rose, launching today (19 February). During the episode, JADE reflects on allyship, speaking out and the role LGBTQ+ people have played in shaping her journey.
JADE, whose real name is Jade Thirlwall, became a household name after Little Mix won The X Factor in 2011 alongside Perrie Edwards, Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Jesy Nelson. The group went on to score multiple UK number one singles and BRIT Awards before going on hiatus in 2022, with each member pursuing solo projects.
“I think regardless of being an ally, just on a personal level I’d say 80 % of my success is down to the gays” – JADE on her LGBTQ+ fanbase
Since launching her solo era under the mononym JADE, the South Shields-born pop star has scored a UK Top 10 hit with debut single ‘Angel of My Dreams’, released her album That’s Showbiz Baby! and picked up major accolades including a BRIT Award and Musician of the Year honours.
During her conversation with Rose, the singer spoke candidly about the importance of her LGBTQ+ fanbase. Asked what that connection means to her, JADE said: “It means everything to me. I think regardless of being an ally, just on a personal level I’d say 80 % of my success is down to the gays. Like not even just from a fan-based perspective, my team around me, the people I grew up with, the people in my life when I moved to London, my close friends. The majority of those people are in the LGBT community in some way and they’ve literally shaped who I am. They’ve made me a better person. They’ve taught me so much. They’ve made me a better artist. Like I would not be where I am today were it not for people from that community. Even without the allyship aspect of it, I just owe a lot to them.”
JADE has long been vocal about LGBTQ+ rights and is widely recognised as an ally, often using her platform to speak out on issues affecting marginalised communities.
“I think when you’ve grown up a minority as well, you understand that feeling” – JADE on growing up feeling different
Reflecting on her instinct to stand up for others, she added: “I do pipe up a lot if I don’t think something’s right or if I see someone, that needs an ally in any form, not just with the community, but in any sense. I think I’ve always been the type to pipe up if something doesn’t feel right. And you know, that does come with a consequence sometimes, but I’d much rather that, than not say something.”
The singer also linked her outlook to her own experiences growing up feeling different. “I think when you’ve grown up a minority as well, you understand that feeling, whether that’s being a misfit or being othered, you understand what that feels like and you don’t wish that on other people. So whether that is to do with my gay fans or the trans community or whatever it is, I think it’s kind of instilled me to be that kind of person.”
By The Way… With Harriet Rose is out now.
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