15 pictures of Little Mix star Jade Thirlwall visiting South Shields as band celebrates seven years of success

Formed on The X Factor in 2011, the group have gone from strength to strength with millions of fans all over the world.

But for two of the band’s members, Jade Thirlwall and Perrie Edwards, the story started in South Shields.

Jade, who is 25, makes frequent visits home to South Shields - including an annual trip for her birthday, which falls on December 26.

Each year, the singer takes to the North Sea to kick her birthday off in style for the Boxing Day Dip in aid of South Tyneside charity Cancer Connections.

Jade is also a patron of the charity and has previously donated some of her outfits to its cause.

Prior to her rise to fame, Jade was crowned as the Shields Gazette Young Performer of the Year at the 2010 Best of South Tyneside Awards. Following her X Factor win, she returned home in 2013 to present a prize.

Most recently, Jade, Perrie and bandmate Leigh-Anne Pinnock painted the town red in Shields with a post-gig night out at House of Diamonds last month.

The girls hit the club after playing at Gateshead Stadium as part of their Summer Hits tour.

Following the big night, club owner Kerrie Katopodis spoke of her pride at the girls returning to their roots..

She added: “It was lush and everybody had the best night ever.”

Flick through our picture gallery above to see some of the highlights from Jade’s trips back to the North East.