She was once part of one of the most successful British girl groups of all time, but behind the bright lights of showbiz, Jesy Nelson was battling crippling insecurities.After finding overnight fame in Little Mix on The X Factor in 2011, the singer, now 35, has spoken candidly about how she battled with severe body image insecurities, online trolling and mental health challenges during her time in the band. But more than a decade after becoming a household name, Jesy’s priorities have shifted dramatically. These days, rather than chasing chart success, she is a doting mum to her twin daughters, Ocean and Story, whom she shares with her ex, Zion Foster.In January, Jesy revealed that her daughters, now 17 months old, had been diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type 1.Genetic neuromuscular disease SMA1 causes progressive muscle weakness and wasting due to motor neuron loss. She was once part of one of the most successful British girl groups of all time, but behind the bright lights of showbiz, Jesy Nelson was battling crippling insecurities (Jesy pictured with bandmates Jade Thirlwall, Perrie Edwards and Leigh-Anne Pinnock) These days, rather than chasing chart success, she is a doting mum to her twin daughters, Ocean and Story, whom she shares with her ex, Zion Foster In January, Jesy revealed that her daughters, now 17 months old, had been diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type 1 – with the singer now tirelessly campaigning to raise awareness about the conditionThe late diagnosis means her daughters are likely to never be able to walk, and have specialist equipment to help them breathe at night, as well as feeding tubes. Since receiving the devastating diagnosis, the singer has channelled her energy into caring for her girls and tirelessly campaigning for better healthcare for the condition. Most recently, it was announced that Jesy had ‘pulled out’ of a six-figure I’m A Celebrity deal to focus on caring for her daughters.Having stepped back from the pop star lifestyle in recent years, Jesy is now fighting a very different battle, one that has seen the singer find a new sense of purpose as a mother determined to use her platform to make a difference.Jesy quit Little Mix after nine years in 2020, blaming the pressures of fame and mental health struggles for her shock decision.Just a year before, she opened up about her history with online abuse, saying: ‘It became such a thing with, “Oh she’s so ugly, she’s different, she’s fat.”’What I used to think about myself completely changed. Like I became so insecure. I believed everything everyone said.‘It was such a horrible road for me to go down. And I feel like as we got older, I don’t know where the turning point was, but we’ve all just learnt not to care anymore.’Despite the sisterly bond she formed with her bandmates – Perrie Edwards, Leigh-Ann Pinnock and Jade Thirlwall – she said they were more like strangers after she felt ‘alone’ following a secret suicide attempt before she quit the band. It was the second time Jesy had tried to commit suicide following an overdose in 2013, which she discussed in her BBC documentary Jesy Nelson: Odd One Out.In her docuseries, Jesy Nelson: Life After Little Mix, which was released in February, she said: ‘I was so sad. I was so down. I knew after coming out of hospital that I mentally couldn’t do it [be in the band] any more.’At the time of Jesy’s overdose, she was meant to appear in the final of Little Mix’s BBC talent show The Search.Host Chris Ramsey told fans at the time that Jesy had fallen ill as he explained her sudden absence from the show.After seeking legal advice, Jesy said her lawyers delivered the news to her bandmates before she had the chance. Jesy quit Little Mix after nine years in 2020, blaming the pressures of fame and mental health struggles for her shock decision (pictured in 2018)Jesy, however, managed to have a phone call with her bandmates to elaborate on her decision. However, she went on to describe it as the most ‘uncomfortable phone call of my life’.Little did Jesy know that would be the last time she ever spoke to them as a group.After leaving the band, she went on to pursue a solo music career, releasing her debut solo single Boyz featuring Nicki Minaj in 2021, followed by a single titled Bad Thing in 2023.She started dating Zion in early 2022, after meeting through mutual friends, before announcing her pregnancy in January 2025.In May of that year, the singer confirmed the birth of her twins in an emotional Instagram post after undergoing emergency surgery to ensure their safety.The former Little Mix star had been in hospital since late March after being diagnosed with twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome – a rare condition that can put one or both babies at risk.But she confirmed both were safe and well after taking to social media – three days after giving birth prematurely.She wrote: ‘So… Our beautiful baby girls decided to come at 31 weeks plus 5 days. It all happened so quickly, but we are so blessed that they are here with us, healthy and fighting strong! We’ve never felt more in love.’Everybody meet Ocean Jade Nelson-Foster and Story Monroe Nelson-Foster.’Jesy accompanied the post with her first photos of the twins being cradled by herself and partner Zion.The twins were diagnosed with SMA 1 in January 2026 – with the weeks before and after the diagnosis documented in Amazon Prime series Jesy Nelson: Life Changing.In one of the episodes, Zion could be seen struggling to come to terms with the devastating diagnosis, saying: ‘I’m not equipped to deal with this. I’m out of my depth; emotionally, physically and mentally.’At the moment I’m surviving. I just need to get help.’ She started dating Zion in early 2022, after meeting through mutual friends, before announcing her pregnancy in January 2025. The twins were born in MayJesy added: ‘I can tell he’s really struggling. For a 26-year-old to have to now be put in this situation… I feel like I can see his life flashing before his eyes.’The singer and Zion announced their split later that month, with Jesy saying on the show: ‘It’s hard. It’s just me and mum now.’She also said: ‘I think we’re both thinking, ‘how the f*** are we going to do this?’ And we will because we have to. We don’t have a choice. It’s really f****** hard.’Since announcing her daughters’ diagnosis, Jesy has campaigned tirelessly for the NHS to expand its screening at birth to check for SMA following her own experience with her daughters.Despite the UK’s National Screening Committee rejecting calls to introduce checks for another muscular disease in January, in April Wes Streeting announced plans for more than 400,000 babies to be screened for the condition from October 2026.Jesy has been liaising with the politician and marked another chapter in her fight for the cause with her visit to the Prime Minister’s residence, where she snapped selfies and wrote the poignant caption: ‘When life throws you lemons……While she has proudly professed that her fight has come on leaps and bounds, in May Jesy told fans there is a long way to go as only certain areas in England will be carrying out the tests on newborns.’It is a bit bittersweet because basically they are only doing it in certain areas of England, so if you do not live in that certain postcode or part of England then your baby won’t be tested for SMA, which is really sad’, she explained.’It’s essentially a postcode lottery for your baby which shouldn’t be the case. All babies lives matter, so as amazing as it is there is still a long way to go in terms of that.’I’m going to keep pushing and trying as much as possible to get this so it is in all areas of England and then also the petition you all kindly signed getting 100,000 signatures is now going to be debated in parliament which is just amazing.’That is all down to you guys so thank you so so much, you’re incredible and I am so appreciative of all the support and love, thank you so much.’The following month, Jesy headed to parliament for a debate on whether a newborn screening for the disease would be rolled out across the whole of England.Devastatingly, the result of the debate was not what Jesy and the SMA community had hoped for and as it stands only 72 per cent of the country will have access to newborn screening when it was introduced in October, while the other 28 per cent still won’t. The singer and Zion announced their split in January 2026, with Jesy saying: ‘It’s hard. It’s just me and mum now.’ ‘ Leaving parliament, Jesy fought back tears as she said: ‘I’m going to be completely honest, I was absolutely fuming. I feel so let down.’I have no more words. It’s sad. It’s so sad, like our children’s lives could look so different, and to know that we are still debating it. We are debating whether SMA future children should be disabled or not.’Based on where you live, how does that make sense? How is that fair? How is that fair?’The parliamentary debate was prompted by a petition launched by Jesy, which gained more than 150,000 signatures.The staggered rollout has been introduced under the advice of the UK National Screening Committee who want to evaluate the effectiveness of the screening and the cost to the NHS.Among the areas that will miss out are Bristol, Cambridge, Leeds, Liverpool, Oxford and Portsmouth.The trial will involve seven of the 13 testing laboratories available to the NHS.Speaking in parliament, Sharon Hodgson said the remaining six laboratories ‘do not currently have the requisite equipment’ for testing. ‘If that changes, more labs could be included,’ she added.Later, Jesy addressed her followers over on Instagram as she reflected on the disappointment of the day and called out Sharon Hodgson, who is the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Health and Social Care for the decision.She told her viewers: ‘There is factual evidence that this treatment, if given from birth is completely life changing to a child that is diagnosed with SMA.’If it isn’t, and they get left untreated, there are facts that if your child doesn’t get treatment, they will not see their second birthday. They will die before the age of two. And there were families in that room yesterday that had children that have died from this horrendous disease.’And we had the Health Minister Sharon give her argument against why it should not be rolled across the whole of England.’So my question to Sharon is, if it’s safe enough for 72 per cent of England to get this tested at birth, then why is it not good enough for the 28 per cent of England to not get tested at birth? How does that make any sense?’Her exact words were, “need to make sure that this does more good than harm”. Please tell me how that statement makes any sense.’Jesy went on to explain that she spoke to Sharon after the debate and asked her whether she had ever met a child with SMA. To which Sharon said she hadn’t.The singer then showed Sharon a video of sisters Maisie and Amelia, who both have SMA however one was treated from birth and the other wasn’t.She explained that they have the exact same diagnosis but one is in a wheelchair but the other is running along, pulling her sister along.Jesy continued: ‘When I showed her in this video, her exact words were, “wow, is that what the treatment does? Wow”. She was gobsmacked.’Fighting back tears she continued: ‘I cannot tell you the outrage that I feel as a mother with two children who are suffering with SMA type one, this awful disease. How heartbreaking it is to hear someone try and argue against why children with SMA, future children with SMA, should be denied of this.’You are basically telling me that if you live in a certain postcode, you’re not as important as the other 72 per cent of England. Your life doesn’t matter as much. It’s outrageous.’I cannot believe that we are still debating this. We are debating whether future SMA babies deserve to live or die, deserve to be disabled or not, how are we?’How are we justified in that, and I guess my question to Sharon is when are we going to make sure that this is rolled out? When are we going to have a timeline, so that no baby is missed, no baby has to suffer every day with this disease when they don’t need to.’You know what’s mad, Sharon’s got children, and I’m pretty sure that if Sharon’s children had this disease, she would be doing everything in her power to make sure that this was rolled out across the whole of England, but the problem is that these people, they go home once they close their door, it doesn’t affect them.’But me and many other families and children are affected by this every single day, not only physically but mentally, and I cannot tell you how heartbreaking it is to know that my children’s lives could have looked completely different.’They could have been walking by now. They didn’t have to be on breathing machines, they didn’t have to have coughing machines. I have to give them medicine every four hours, I have to turn them every two hours, because they can’t do that themselves. I have to make sure they’re not choking.’I have to watch them so closely to make sure that they don’t choke on their own saliva, because this disease has affected their muscles with their swallowing and to know that there are people that are literally making this decision to make children suffer. I have no words.’She concluded: ‘When are we going to get answers? And when is this going to change? Because this cannot go on.’ In July Jesy revealed her joy as she announced the SMA Type 1 screening test will now be rolled out across the whole of the UK as a result of her campaigningThe following month, Jesy revealed her joy as she announced the SMA Type 1 screening test will now be rolled out across the whole of the UK as a result of her campaigning.Sharing the latest update exclusively with the Daily Mail, Jesy said she was ‘so proud’ of everyone involved as she celebrated the difference this will make to babies with SMA as she added ‘this is all I ever wanted.’Revealing the news, Jesy said: ‘OK, so yesterday I had a phone call with Sharon [Hodgson], the health minister, and James Murray [Secretary of State for Health and Social Care] and they have decided to roll it out across the whole of the UK.’It’s an emotional day. I’m still taking it in to be honest. It’s amazing. It’s just mind-blowing. I feel so proud. I just feel so proud of everyone that’s been a part of getting it to this place because now future SMA baby’s lives are gonna look completely different. And that is all I ever wanted.’It will never not be heartbreaking to hear that your child has SMA, but to know that their life will not have to look like this is just amazing.’In August, Jesy shared a sweet video of her twin daughters after they had surgery to remove their feeding tubes.The former Little Mix star posted the Instagram clip of Ocean and Story lying on mats on the floor with the caption ‘my whole heart’.Jesy shared her joy at ‘getting her daughter’s faces back’ when they had their feeding tubes removed at the start of the month.While she previously admitted that she was ‘terrified’ for her twins to undergo surgery to have the tubes removed, she couldn’t hide her joy as she told how she’s ‘got their faces back’.In a heart-warming video shared to her Instagram story, Jesy showed the girls in their hospital beds ahead of the procedure, where she called them ‘the bravest girls in all of the world’.Hours later she uploaded images of the twins sleeping with their faces free from the tubes, with Jesy adding that it ‘feels like a dream’ to see.The nasogastric (NG) tubes are a short-term solution to feeding when muscle weakness makes swallowing unsafe or hard to eat enough food to grow.The singer also added a picture of a hair clip with the words ‘good things are coming’ as she embraced the positive during her girls’ health battle. The doting mum was reported to star on I’m A Celebrity, where she was said to be offered a six-figure deal But earlier this week, it was revealed that she backed out of the deal with the ITV show with a ‘heavy heart’. New reports have claimed ‘there is no way’ Jesy would leave her children to go into the Australian jungleEarlier in the week, Jesy posted a sweet picture of the babies, alongside the caption: ‘Today is the last day of my baby girls having [their] ng tubes on their faces…’As terrified as I am about them having [their] operation tomorrow, I cannot wait to finally see their faces again and see their little dimples that are always under these plasters…’I’ve honestly forgotten what it feels like to cuddle them and not worry about puling their turbe out [their] nose or plasters [off] their face. It really is the littlest things we take for granted as parents.’ [sic]Earlier this month Jesy revealed that her twins Ocean and Story are back in hospital.She shared a snap on Instagram that showed Ocean and Story in a hospital bed together, with her babies both wrapped up in cosy blankets and woolly baby grows.Jesy has not revealed details of the hospital visit just yet. The doting mum was reported to star on I’m A Celebrity, where she was said to be offered a six-figure deal.But last week, it was revealed that she backed out of the deal with the ITV show with a ‘heavy heart’.New reports have claimed ‘there is no way’ Jesy would leave her children to go into the Australian jungle.A source said: ‘Jesy was so excited about joining I’m A Celebrity, mainly because it was giving her a platform to continue her campaigning for SMA.”It’s with a very heavy heart she has pulled out. Ocean and Story are unwell and there is no way Jesy would leave them. Her family are her priority.’ITV have been amazing and are supporting her all the way. The door will always be left open for Jesy’, the source added to The Sun.The Daily Mail has approached ITV and Jesy’s representatives for comment. What is spinal muscular atrophy? Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is a disease that weakens a patient’s strength by affecting the motor neuron cells in the spinal cord.It results in gradual muscle wasting and the severity of symptoms varies by type.Type 1 SMA is the most severe and is evident at birth. The weakening of muscles means sufferers cannot sit and usually leads to death by the age of five.Type 2 is intermediate with the sufferer being unable to stand.Type 3 is mild and makes it difficult to get up from a sitting position.Type 4 sufferers don’t have symptoms until they are in their 20s or 30s.<!- – ad: https://mads.dailymail.co.uk/v8/us/tvshowbiz/none/article/other/mpu_factbox.html?id=mpu_factbox_1 – ->