Leigh-Anne Pinnock: Everything you need to know about the 'Burning Up' singer
She's announced her debut solo album
Leigh-Anne Pinnock, or should we simply say Leigh-Anne, rose to fame as part of the hugely popular girl group Little Mix. Since going solo, the singer has released several singles, an EP and now announced her debut solo album called 'My Ego Told Me To'. Not only that, but the singer has announced a tour in support of her album called 'My Ego Told Me To Tour', just days before she then released her long-awaited 'Dead and Gone'.
Away from music the singer has also released a memoir, married her beau Andre Gray and welcomed twins. She's certainly come a long way since finding fame on The X Factor back in 2011, so find out everything you need to know about the extremely talented Leigh-Anne...
Who is Leigh-Anne Pinnock?
Leigh-Anne is a British singer who is best known for her time in girl band Little Mix. The singer auditioned for The X Factor as a solo artist, was put into the band alongside Perrie Edwards, Jade Thirlwall and former member Jesy Nelson.
How old is she?
Leigh-Anne was born on 4th October 1991, making her 34-years-old!
How tall is she?
Leigh-Anne is 1.6 meters in height, making her 5ft 2in.
Her solo record deal
In February 2022, Leigh-Anne signed a solo record deal with Warner Records UK, becoming the first active Little Mix member to do so. She began teasing solo material in early 2023, sharing studio updates and announcing she’d been "cooking up a storm". Her debut solo single, 'Don't Say Love', followed in June of that year.
In September 2023, Leigh-Anne released her second single, 'My Love', featuring Nigerian artist Ayra Starr, describing it as a "fresh start". By March 2024, Leigh-Anne dropped two more tracks 'Stealin' Love' and 'Forbidden Fruit', which featured on her debut solo EP 'No Hard Feelings'.
Then in May 2025, she became an independent artist, releasing her first independent single 'Been a Minute' in July, followed by 'Burning Up', 'Hello' with Sigala and 'Dead and Gone'. She released her final song of the year on 21st November called 'Friends', however it will not feature on her debut album.
Her debut solo album
The name and release date for Leigh-Anne's debut solo album have now been announced. The singer revealed on 15th October 2025 that her album would be called 'My Ego Told Me To' and it would drop on 20th February.
Before announcing her album, Leigh-Anne has previously spoken to us about it, telling us that there would "100%" be an album.
She went on to explain: "I've come from that background, d'you know, like being an album artist, so creating bodies of work, that's what I was really excited to do. But it actually happened more quickly that people thought. Everything's really come together really well, and hopefully we'll have an album out early next year... Hopefully!"
In another interview with us she also revealed that she definitely wants to include some collabs on her solo album. "Everyone loves a collab," she said, before teasing her next single, saying: "I don't think people are ready for the next single..." 👀
Is Leigh-Anne on tour?
Along with announcing her debut solo album, Leigh-Anne revealed that she would be going on tour in April 2026. The singer will be performing four dates in the UK, in Glasgow, Manchester, Bristol and London as part of a wider European tour.
The tour is called 'My Ego Told Me To Tour', in the post announcing her album and tour, she told fans: 'The journey to this moment hasn’t been smooth. I’ve navigated going solo after over 10 years in a group, left a label and gone independent. It feels like I’ve started from the beginning TWICE 🙈 but I truly believe everything has happened exactly how it was supposed to.💫
'I’m saying no to expectations, no to categories and no to boxes, this is me reclaiming my power 💫
'It’s raw, unfiltered and everything I imagined my debut album would be! GASSSSED for you all to hear 😭😍'. (sic)
What awards has she won?
Leigh-Anne and the rest of the Little Mix girls have picked up three BRIT Awards, in 2017 they won British Single of the Year for 'Shout Out To My Ex'. This was followed in 2019 with their second BRIT, British Video of the Year for 'Woman Like Me' featuring Nicki Minaj. The group's third award was for Best British Group in May 2021!
In 2020, Leigh-Anne, along with Jade Thirlwall, won an Ethnicity Award for her support during the Black Lives Matter protests.
2021 was a big year for awards with Leigh-Anne picking up awards for her documentary Leigh-Anne: Race, Pop & Power. The documentary won an Ethnicity Award for Media Progress Moment, I Talk Telly Award for Best Documentary and in 2022, Documentary of the Year from the Visionary Honours Awards.
Leigh-Anne was awarded an Inspirational Honorary Award at MBCC (Multicultural Business and Community Champion) in 2023.
Honorary doctorate
In July 2023, Leigh-Anne was awarded an honorary doctorate from Buckinghamshire New University in recognition of her anti-racism and racial equality work. Leigh-Anne was surprised by a group of dance and performance students at the university, who performed a dance flash mob to her solo single 'Don't Say Love'.
Leigh-Anne said: "Growing up, I must have walked past BNU's High Wycombe campus a million times, curious about what was being studied and taught there. But in all that time I never imagined I'd be stood here today with an honorary doctorate in the arts.
"It's such a privilege to be recognised by such a credible, creative and supportive university, so I am extremely happy and proud to be here today."
Has she left Little Mix?
Nope! Leigh-Anne has not left Little Mix, she is still very much a member, however the band are on a hiatus. Following the departure of Jesy Nelson in December 2020, Little Mix announced they would be taking a break to pursue solo projects in 2022, following the conclusion of their rescheduled 'Confetti' tour in April and May 2022.
Who is she married to?
Since 2016, Leigh-Anne has been dating Premier League footballer Andre Gray, and now they're married! The pair confirmed their relationship just days before the New Year started in 2016. Leigh-Anne and Andre aren't shy about their romance on social media, with both posting some adorable snaps on their accounts - true love!
Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Andre Gray became engaged in May 2020 on their fourth anniversary. Taking to Instagram, Andre wrote: 'Let the caption speak for itself this time. ❤️💍 Hasta la muerte,' which roughly translates to 'until death'. Aww!
Rumours that Andre had popped the question to Leigh-Anne had been circulating since as early as November 2018, when a video emerged of Leigh-Anne and Andre's house warming party with both of their families in attendance.
Leigh-Anne and Andre tied the knot in June 2023. The wedding took place in Jamaica, and she confirmed the lovely news in a newsletter. The singer wrote: 'So much has happened since we last caught up. First of all… I’m a married woman! Eeeek!
'Andre and I had the most incredible wedding surrounded by love in a place that’s so special to both of us. Thank you all for showing us so much love & support.'
Leigh-Anne later told us all about her wedding. She revealed her first dance with Andre was dvsn's 'The Line', and she walked down the aisle to Jahméne from The X Factor. Sounds amazing!
In July that year, Leigh-Anne shared some stunning photos from her special day on her Instagram page, offering fans a glimpse of her wedding.
While out promoting her debut solo single, 'Don't Say Love', Leigh-Anne wasn't afraid to show off her new ring, alongside her emerald engagement ring which is believed to cost £40,000.
Does she have children?
Yes, she has twins! Leigh-Anne announced her pregnancy with fiancé Andre Gray in May 2021. The couple revealed they were expecting their first child in a STUNNING photoshoot posted to Instagram. She wrote: 'We've dreamed about this moment for so long and we can't believe the dream is finally coming true... we can't wait to meet you. ❤️😍.'
Leigh-Anne later announced on 23rd August that she had given birth to TWINS on 16th August 2021! The singer took to her Instagram to share an adorable photo of four small feet, writing: 'We asked for a miracle, we were given two... 🥺🖤 Our Cubbies are here 😍🖤16/08/21 🖤'.
The exciting news came just one day after her band mate Perrie Edwards announced the birth of her first child.
Speaking to Hits Radio in October 2025, Leigh-Anne opened up about raising her two daughters. The singer explained: "They're so confident and fearless. If anything, they're like teaching me, I'm like, I need to be more like you. Like they inspire me, but yeah, I just want them to hold on to that for as long as possible.
"So whatever I can do to keep them, I guess, I don't know, like when you're so young and you're confident, it's like it's these outside factors that can like damage that and like they don't have that right now. They're just kids."
What did she do before Little Mix?
Before becoming a global superstar, Leigh-Anne worked as a waitress in Pizza Hut.
Black Lives Matter
After attending the Black Lives Matter protests following the tragic death of American man George Floyd, Leigh-Anne bravely spoke about how racism has affected her time in girl band Little Mix, admitting she feels like she has to work '10 times harder' than the other girls.
Uploading a five-minute video of herself candidly speaking, Leigh-Anne recalled, in a now-deleted video, the moment she was told by choreographer Frank Gatson during the 'Wings' video shoot that she would have to 'work 10 times harder' because of the colour of her skin.
Leigh-Anne and bandmate Jade Thirlwall won an Ethnicity Award in 2020. On receiving the award, Leigh-Anne said: "I just want to say a massive thank you for voting for me to win the equality award with Jade, which is absolutely amazing.
"I feel so overwhelmed and grateful to have received an award like this, I will continue to use my platform to continue speaking out about race and fighting the fight. I really feel like there’s so many people out there who are working towards change and fighting this fight and not necessarily being projected on social media and the news, so this award is for them."
The Black Fund
Leigh-Anne is a co-founder and trustee of The Black Fund alongside her husband Andre Gray and sister Sairah Pinnock.
Launched in 2021, their mission statement sees them 'Investing In Equality', and the website says: 'We envision The Black Fund becoming a name people trust - especially for young people - to offer opportunities, access, work and experience in fields they’re interested in, with a focus on the creative industry.'
Does she have a twin sister?
She doesn't have a twin, but Leigh-Anne's older sister Sairah Pinnock looks very much like her!
Follow her on social media
You can follow Leigh-Anne on Instagram at: leighannepinnock. Leigh-Anne's X account is @leighannemusic, if you want to follow Little Mix you can on: @LittleMix
You can hear Little Mix's biggest songs on Cool FM.
Take a look at Leigh-Anne through the years:
2011 - Leigh-Anne Pinnock auditions for The X Factor
Prior to auditioning for The X Factor, Leigh-Anne Pinnock worked as a part-time waitress at Pizza Hut. In 2011, she chased her pop stardom dreams and auditioned for the show as a solo artist.
Leigh-Anne was soon put into a girl group along with Jade Thirlwall, Perrie Edwards and Jesy Nelson, originally named Rhythmix. They soon changed their name to Little Mix as they continued with the show.
2011 - Little Mix won The X Factor
On 11th December 2011, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Jade Thirlwall, Perrie Edwards and Jesy Nelson became the first group to win The X Factor, with Little Mix crowned the champions.
2012 - 'Wings' becomes the band's second Number 1
'Wings' became the band's second consecutive Number 1 single in the UK after 'Cannonball'. Leigh-Anne co-wrote 'Wings' alongside the rest of the group and other songwriters.
2015 - Leigh-Anne launched a fashion blog
In 2015 Leigh-Anne launched a blog called Leigh Loves. The fashion blog used to show some of the outfits Leigh-Anne and the girls would wear throughout the week.
2016 - Leigh-Anne started dating footballer Andre Gray
Leigh-Anne and Andre started dating back in 2016. She made it Instagram official in January 2017 by posting a photo of him hugging her, with the caption: 'Gonna miss this one 💔'.
2017 - ‘Shout Out To My Ex’ won a BRIT Award
'Shout Out To My Ex' was another song co-written by Leigh-Anne, released in 2016. The song went on to become a Number 1 single in the UK and also won the group at BRIT Award for British Single of the Year, in 2017 fighting off competition from Calvin Harris, Coldplay and James Arthur.
2019 - Leigh-Anne climbed Mount Kilimanjaro
Leigh-Anne, along with her Little Mix pal Jade Thirlwall climbed Mount Kilimanjaro to raise funds for Comic Relief's Red Nose Day.
2019 - Leigh-Anne launches swimwear range In'A'Seashell
Back in 2019 the singer launched her own swimwear range In'A'Seashell. Leigh-Anne and Jade also signed to Sony's TwentySeven publishing group as songwriters in April of that year.
2020 - Leigh-Anne and Andre got engaged
Leigh-Anne and Andre got engaged on their four-year anniversary, 28th May 2020.
The pop star also had a busy year with launching her own production house, Pinnock Productions, and a style edit collection with ASOS.
Leigh-Anne and Jade won an Equality Award for their work towards racial equality in the UK.
2021 - Leigh-Anne: Race, Pop and Power airs
Leigh-Anne: Race, Pop and Power, the documentary featuring Leigh-Anne talking about racial issues aired in May 2021.
Also, in May 2021, Leigh-Anne and her sister launched a charity called The Black Fund. The charity works with existing charities to deliver support to the black community.
2021 - Leigh-Anne announced that she was pregnant
In May 2021 Leigh-Anne announced that she was pregnant, then in August the singer gave birth to twins.
Leigh-Anne also signed to Taps Music in order to concentrate on solo projects alongside her Little Mix work.
2021 - Guest judge on RuPaul's Drag Race UK
On Thursday 21st October, Leigh-Anne appeared on RuPaul's Drag Race UK as a guest judge. The series featured many famous guests throughout, including Emma Bunton, Steps, Matt Lucas and Oti Mabuse.
Leigh-Anne's bandmate Jade has also been a guest on the show, appearing on the panel back in series one in 2019.
2021 - Boxing Day (film) is released starring Leigh-Anne
Leigh-Anne's film Boxing Day was released on 5th December. Not only did Leigh-Anne's Pinnock Productions contribute to the film, but the singer also starred in it. After filming wrapped in early 2021, the movie was released in UK cinemas on Friday 3rd December 2021.
Along with Leigh-Anne it stars Aml Ameen and Aja Naomi King. It is a festive comedy about a British author (Aml) who returns from the USA with his fiancée (Aja), so she can meet his eccentric family.
2022 - Leigh-Anne announces solo record deal
In February 2022, Leigh-Anne confirmed she had signed a solo record deal with Warner Records UK, sharing their announcement with the caption: 'So excited for what's to come 😍🙏🏽'.
2022 - Leigh-Anne shares photos from Jamaica
Leigh-Anne shares photos from Jamaica as she confirms she's still working on new music. The singer can be seen with other writers and producers.
2023 - Even more studio snaps!
Leigh-Anne shared yet more snaps from the studio on her Instagram page in January 2023, writing: 'It's been a weird couple of weeks, getting used to certain life changes. Emotions flying.. but I'm excited for the year ahead... we been cooking up a storm 🎶😍'
2023 - Leigh-Anne narrated The Little Mermaid
On 23rd March 2023, Leigh-Anne announced some pretty special news alongside Audible! The singer revealed that she has narrated the original Hans Christian Anderson version of The Little Mermaid exclusively for Audible UK, with the book being available to listen to now.
Within her Instagram caption, Leigh-Anne said: 'Dina Gregory is such an incredible storyteller; reading her adaptation truly made me feel seen in a story I've been so familiar with as a child. There are so many themes within this now iconic storyline that feel so familiar to my own life and so my narration was inspired by not only my experiences but also my culture, my heritage. My hope is that people like myself can see themselves in this story too and I've enjoyed retelling this tale to my own children already 💕'.
2023 - Leigh-Anne released her debut memoir
Leigh-Anne released her debut memoir called Believe on 26th October 2023. The singer posted a video on her Instagram page showing her reading the book. Leigh-Anne's Little Mix bandmates, Perrie and Jade, congratulated her in the comments section.
Posting about the book in a now-deleted post, she said: 'Ever since we won The X Factor back in 2011, I feel like I've been in a whirlwind. I've had some life-changing moments that up until now, I've never really had the chance to process. Maya Angelou once said "You can't really know where you are going until you know where you have been."
'So with this in mind and before I embark on this new journey, I want to respect my past; my life, my heritage, family, identity and most importantly, embracing & believing in my own power.
'I also want to give an extra special thank you to the supremely talented Natalie Morris who helped me find my voice and write this memoir. I love you!'
2023 - Leigh-Anne released her debut solo single
Leigh-Anne delighted fans by dropping her debut solo song 'Don't Say Love' on 16th June.
Speaking about her new music, Leigh-Anne told us: "I would love to sell out shows on my own. That would be a dream. Just to have fans, just for me I think is gonna be... Ah yeah, there's gonna be tears."
2023 - Leigh-Anne received an honorary doctorate
In July 2023, Leigh-Anne received an honorary doctorate from Buckinghamshire New University in recognition of her anti-racism and racial equality work. She returned to her home town of High Wycombe to collect the accolade.
2023 - Leigh-Anne released her second solo single 'My Love'
Leigh-Anne Pinnock released her second single 'My Love' on 7th September 2023. The song features Nigerian singer Ayra Starr.
2024 - Leigh-Anne released 'Stealin' Love' and announced an EP
Leigh-Anne released 'Stealin' Love' on 28th March, a new song which featured on her EP called 'No Hard Feelings'. Leigh-Anne described her EP as a collection of songs which: 'While not part of my album, have helped inform my direction as a artist, a songwriter and a musician.'
2024 - Leigh-Anne performed her first solo headline show
Leigh-Anne took to the stage for her first headline show since going solo in Lafayette London, a live music venue near Kings Cross.
2024 - Leigh-Anne released her EP 'No Hard Feelings'
Leigh-Anne released her EP called 'No Hard Feelings' on 31st May. The EP featured five songs including 'Stealing Love' and 'Forbidden Fruit'.
November 2024 - Leigh-Anne performed at Hits Radio Live Birmingham
On Friday 22nd November 2024, Leigh-Anne took to the stage of Birmingham's bp pulse LIVE arena for Hits Radio Live, performing solo hits and new music. The 'Don't Say Love' singer wowed audiences with her incredible vocals and energetic dance breaks.
Check out all the pics here.
May 2025 - Leigh-Anne teased new music
In May 2025, Leigh-Anne shared a series of posts on Instagram which appeared to tease new music. In the first on 17th May, she uploaded a carousel of images and videos, including pics of her in the studio and featuring what appeared to be a clip of new music. She wrote: 'It's been a minute… but every chapter of stillness held a lesson. Grateful for growth, for love, for the fire that never left. Something beautiful is on the way ❤️💚' (sic).
Four days later, she shared footage of her hand over a music deck, while music played over the clip. Exciting fans that this means new music is on the way, she wrote 'Control looks good on me...'. Could this be the name of one of her next songs?
October 2025 - Leigh-Anne collaborated with Sigala on 'Hello'
In October 2025, Leigh-Anne teamed up with Sigala and Jonita to release pop banger 'Hello'. Dropping on Friday 3rd October, the song was an instant hit with fans, who took to the comments to say they were 'OBSESSED🔥🔥🔥' and calling it 'So Iconic!'.
October 2025 - Leigh-Anne confirmed 'Dead and Gone' will be released
In September 2025, Leigh started to tease another song, which fans believed was called 'Dead and Gone'. She shared a black and white video of herself singing a clip from the song, which left fans very excited. Then a few weeks later, the singer confirmed the song would be released on 17th October.
October 2025 - Leigh-Anne revealed solo album details
Leigh-Anne Pinnock's eagerly-awaited solo album now has a name and release date. The singer revealed the album called 'My Ego Told Me To' would be released on 20th February 2026. Leigh-Anne will also be going on tour in support of the album.
October 2025 - Leigh-Anne announced UK tour
On the day Leigh-Anne announced her debut solo album, 'My Ego Told Me To', the singer also revealed she will also be going on tour in April 2026. She will be performing in Glasgow, Manchester, Bristol and London as part of a wider European tour.
November 2025 - Leigh releases 'Friends' with Rvssian
Leigh-Anne revealed in November that she would be releasing her last song of the year on 21st November, called 'Friends' with Jamaican singer Rvssian. The song was released on 21st November, and in an email to her fans, Leigh-Anne explained what it was about writing: 'We've all had that one friend who turns out wasn't actually your friend. This song for me captures that feeling of the weight off your shoulders after finally cutting them off ❌
'Rvssian and I were in the studio working on this record in summer last year and although it didn't make it to the album, I didn't want to let go of it so I decided to say f--k it and put it out! Why not, I make the rules hahaha 🤣💁🏽♀️'
Read more:
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9 incredible facts about Little Mix's former member Jesy Nelson ✨
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