See Little Mix star Jade Thirlwall channel idol Diana Ross in stunning photo shoot
and live on Freeview channel 276
The South Shields performer opened up about her battles with bullies and anorexia during an interview with national title The Guardian for its magazine, Guardian Weekend.
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Hide AdIn the story shared on The Guardian website, Jade appeared alongside Bridget Christie, Frank Skinner, Ben Miller and Rylan Clark-Neal who all channel the famous people they get mistaken for.
In The Guardian interview Jade said: “I’m Arab, and when I was growing up there weren’t many famous people who looked like me.
“Maybe that’s another reason why I latched on to Diana – she was the closest I could get to seeing myself represented.
“At school, I was bullied a lot about my colour.
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Hide Ad“I became incredibly insecure, and was anorexic from 13 to 18.
“Going on the X Factor and being put into Little Mix helped me to recover.
“I knew I’d never be able to be a singer and live my dream if I stayed the way I was; having that goal was my light at the end of the tunnel.”
But Jade also revealed how finding fame came with its own struggles, opening up about feeling the need to undergo a nose job and boob job – a complex brought on after a magazine photoshopped her nose.
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Hide AdPaying tribute to the star who inspired her Jade told The Guardian: “Like me, a lot of drag queens are inspired by Diana: she’s the ultimate diva, polished, glamorous and larger than life.
“Even now, when Little Mix sing ballads, I channel Diana Ross. Superstars like her don’t exist any more.”