Looking back on the rise of Little Mix: The 2011 X Factor sensations
Shout out to Little Mix who shot to stardom 13 years ago this December.
Little Mix were in the headlines after winning X-Factor and what a time it was to be on South Tyneside.
As Christmas approached in 2011, the band celebrated winning the mega TV competition.
‘It’s going to be incredible’
Shields girls Perrie Edwards and Jade Thirlwall were still taking in the news when they spoke to the Press.
Perrie said at the time: “We’re just going to work so, so hard.
“We’ve got the track coming up, it’s going to be incredible, it’s going to be a great experience and after that it will be the album, and we’ll start writing and we can’t wait to get into the studio and start writing our own stuff.”
Band mate Jade said: “We have a music team we’ll be working with and they’ll have ideas, and hopefully we’ll have ours, and we can work together and come up with an absolute tune and good songs for the album.”
Queues through the night
Jade had extra reason to celebrate. It was her birthday on Boxing Day and the people of South Tyneside could not wait to meet their new champions.
The X Factor winners signed copies of their debut single at the town’s HMV store in December 2011.
Fans got in line in King Street to grab one of the 600 wristbands needed to meet the group.
‘It has been freezing but it’s worth it’
Some even queued from the night before.
First in the queue were friends Rachel Sehman, 17, and Kelly Fada, 33. Rachel, from South Shields, said: "We've been queueing since last night.
"It has been freezing, but it will be worth it later. I think the girls are great – I watched X-Factor every week and love them!"
600 miles to meet Little Mix
Nicole Florence and Lynne Wadge, from Dean Road, South Shields, were next in line.
Super-fan Clare Dixon made a 600-mile round trip to see her new pop heroines.
She followed the group since they were created during the early stages of The X Factor.
Jarrow School pals Leigh Gutteridge, Olivia Davies, Amelia Hambley and Morgan Kiely were very excited to get their wristbands.
Tell us if you were one of the people who queued overnight to meet the band, fresh from their X Factor triumph.
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