5 times we fell in love with Little Mix's Leigh-Anne Pinnock ❤️
We are celebrating Leigh-Anne's birthday as she turns 29!
Last updated 5th Oct 2020
She may be part of one of the biggest girl bands on the planet alongside Perrie Edwards, Jade Thirlwall and Jesy Nelson in Little Mix, but Leigh-Anne Pinnock is a star in her own right, inspiring her fans across the world on a daily basis.
Although 2020 has been a odd year to say the least, with Little Mix having to cancel their Summer 2020 Tour and postpone their TV show Little Mix: The Search, Leigh-Anne has still made the most of it, getting engaged to her footballer boyfriend Andre Gray and using her platform to educate and inform on topical issues such as the Black Lives Matter movement.
Check out 5 times we fell in love with Little Mix Leigh-Anne Pinnock all over again:
The lovely Leigh-Anne is also celebrating her birthday in October, with the 'Break Up Song' singer turning 29-years-old on Sunday 4th.
Happy Birthday Leigh-Anne! ❤️
Check out how the Little Mix girls have changed throughout the years:
2011 - The X Factor auditions
Jade Thirlwall, Perrie Edwards, Jesy Nelson and Leigh-Anne Pinnock all auditioned for The X Factor in 2011 as solo artists. Although they were then eliminated at the Boot Camp stage, each of them was brought back along with other contestants to form groups. Jesy and Perrie formed Faux Pas, and Jade and Leigh-Anne made up two-thirds of a group called Orion.
2011 - Little Mix win The X Factor
Both groups were then eliminated, but Jade, Perrie, Jesy and Leigh-Anne were put into a group by Kelly Rowland, calling themselves Rhythmix before changing their name to Little Mix for legal reasons. Little Mix were mentored by Tulisa and got all the way to the final, where they beat Marcus Collins with 48.3% of the vote, becoming the first group to ever win the show. Judge Louis Walsh at the time predicted the girls would be the biggest girl group in the UK - and he was right! Their winning single was a cover of Damien Rice's 'Cannonball', which topped the UK Singles Chart.
2012 - Little Mix release autobiography Ready To Fly
In August 2012, Little Mix released their autobiography, Ready To Fly. The book saw the girls tell the story of their rise to fame.
2012 - Debut album 'DNA' released
In November 2012, they released their debut album 'DNA' through Simon Cowell's label, Syco. 'DNA' peaked in the Top 10 in 10 countries. This made Little Mix the first girl group since the Pussycat Dolls to reach the US Top 5 with their debut album. 'DNA' was also certified Gold in both Australia and Ireland, and Platinum in the UK.
2012 - X Factor performance
One year on from their historic win on The X Factor, Little Mix returned to the show to perform their new single, 'Wings'.
2013 - 'DNA' Tour
In January 2013, Little Mix embarked on the 'DNA' tour, which started in Rhyl. The tour was the band's first and concluded in Belfast in February 2013.
2013 - Little Mix release second album
Little Mix released their second studio album 'Salute' in November 2013. The album included the singles 'Move', 'Little Me' and 'Salute', reaching Number 4 on the UK Albums Chart.
2014 - Little Mix support Demi Lovato on tour
In February and March 2014, Little Mix supported Demi Lovato on the North American leg of her 'Neon Lights' tour.
2014 - 'Salute' Tour
In 2014, Little Mix embarked on the sell-out 'Salute' tour, which consisted of 20 dates. The tour started in May 2014 in Birmingham, before concluding in Scarborough in July 2014.
2015 - 'Black Magic' reaches Number 1
In May 2015, Little Mix released their huge single 'Black Magic', which topped the UK Singles Chart - remaining at Number 1 for three weeks. 'Black Magic' went on to be certified 3x Platinum in the UK.
2015 - Co-writing for Britney Spears and Iggy Azalea
Little Mix were co-writers on Britney Spears and Iggy Azalea's song 'Pretty Girls', which was released in May 2015. The song reached Number 16 on the UK Singles Chart.
2015 - Little Mix perform with Taylor Swift
In August 2015, Little Mix joined Taylor Swift on-stage at her '1989' tour in Santa Clara, California. Fans were delighted as Taylor and Little Mix performed 'Black Magic' together.
2015 - Little Mix release their third album 'Get Weird'
Little Mix released their third studio album 'Get Weird' in November 2015. The album included the singles 'Black Magic', 'Love Me Like You', 'Secret Love Song' and 'Hair'. 'Get Weird' reached Number 2 on the UK Albums Chart and is certified 3x Platinum.
2016 - 'Get Weird' tour
In 2016, Little Mix embarked on the 'Get Weird' tour, which was in support of their third studio album of the same name. The tour started in Cardiff in March 2016, visiting cities in the UK, Europe, Oceania and Asia before concluding at Newmarket Racecourse in August 2016.
2016 - Little Mix release 'Hair' with Sean Paul
Originally released in August 2015, a remix of 'Hair' featuring Sean Paul was released in April 2016. The collaboration reached Number 11 on the UK Singles Chart.
2016 - 'Shout Out To My Ex' reaches Number 1
Released in October 2016, 'Shout Out To My Ex' was a huge hit for Little Mix. The song topped the UK Singles Chart, where it spent three consecutive weeks. The single is certified 4x Platinum in the UK.
2016 - Little Mix release their fourth album 'Glory Days'
Little Mix released their fourth studio album 'Glory Days' in November 2016, including the singles 'Shout Out To My Ex', 'Touch', 'No More Sad Songs' and 'Power', with 'Reggaetón Lento' also featuring on the reissued version of the album.
'Glory Days' reached Number 1 on the UK Albums Chart and is certified 4x Platinum.
2017 - Little Mix win their first BRIT Award
Little Mix won their first BRIT Award in 2017, with 'Shout Out To My Ex' winning British Single of the Year.
2017 - Little Mix support Ariana Grande
Little Mix supported Ariana Grande on the North American leg of her 'Dangerous Woman' tour from February to April 2017.
2017/18 - 'The Glory Days' tour
In May 2017, Little Mix embarked on 'The Glory Days' tour, starting in Prenton Park in Birkenhead and visiting cities across the UK, Europe, Oceania, and Asia before concluding in Kobe, Japan in March 2018.
2018 - 'Summer Hits' tour
2018 also saw Little Mix head on the 'Summer Hits' tour, which was their first stadium tour. Taking place in July 2018, the tour began in Hove and concluded in Inverness.
2018 - Fifth album 'LM5'
Little Mix released their fifth studio album 'LM5' in November 2018. The album included the singles 'Woman Like Me' and 'Think About Us'. 'LM5' reached Number 3 on the UK Albums Chart and is certified Platinum.
2018 - Little Mix leave Syco and are signed to RCA
In November 2018, Little Mix left Syco - Simon Cowell's record label - and signed a deal with RCA.
2018 - Performance with Nicki Minaj
In November 2018, fans were thrilled when the girls teamed up with Nicki Minaj for an amazing performance of their collab 'Woman Like Me' at the MTV EMAs.
2019 - BRIT Awards win
Little Mix won the British Artist Video of the Year award at the 2019 BRIT Awards for their track 'Woman Like Me' featuring Nicki Minaj.
2019 - Celebrity Gogglebox
Little Mix appeared on Celebrity Gogglebox in June 2019, with the girls sharing their hilarious thoughts on a host of television shows - including Naked Attraction!
2019 - 'LM5: The Tour'
In 2019, Little Mix embarked on 'LM5: The Tour', which was in support of their fifth album. The tour started in Madrid, Spain in September 2019 and finished at The O2 Arena in London in November 2019.
2019 - PrettyLittleThing collection
In November 2019, Little Mix teamed up with clothing brand PrettyLittleThing to release their own clothing collection.
2019 - Jesy releases the documentary Odd One Out
In September 2019, Jesy released the powerful documentary Odd One Out, which saw her open up about the impact of cyberbulling on her mental health. The documentary won a National Television Award in 2020.
2020 - One World: Together At Home performance
Little Mix delivered a brilliant performance of their hit 'Touch' for the One World: Together At Home virtual concert during the Covid-19 pandemic.
2020
In 2020, Little Mix announced their own TV talent show called Little Mix: The Search. The competition aired in September 2020 and was won by the band Since September - who subsequently went on to support the girls on 'The Confetti Tour' in 2022.
2020 - 'Confetti'
Little Mix released their sixth album 'Confetti' in November 2020. The album included the singles 'Break Up Song', 'Holiday' and 'Sweet Melody'. The album reached Number 2 on the UK Album Charts and is certified Gold.
2020 - Tour announcement
After their Summer 2020 Tour was scrapped due to the Coronavirus pandemic, Little Mix delighted fans by announcing a massive arena tour for 2021.
2020 - LM5: The Tour Film
LM5: The Tour Film was released in cinemas worldwide in November 2020, with the UK showings being postponed to December due to the lockdown restrictions. The film was later shown on Sky One, as well as being made available to purchase on iTunes.
2020
In December 2020, Jesy Nelson announced she'd made the tough decision to quit Little Mix, after saying that being in the band took a toll on her mental health. Jade, Leigh-Anne and Perrie announced they would continue Little Mix as a three.
2021 - 'Sweet Melody' reaches Number 1
Released in October 2020, 'Sweet Melody' was the third single from Little Mix's sixth studio album, 'Confetti'. In January 2021, the song reached Number 1 on the UK Singles Chart, giving Little Mix their fifth UK Number 1 single.
2021 - Best Group BRIT Award
Little Mix won the Best Group award at the 2021 BRIT Awards! Leigh-Anne and Perrie also sweetly debuted their baby bumps on the red carpet.
2021 - 'Confetti' tour postponed
The 'Confetti' tour was originally set to take place from April to May 2021, but had to be postponed due to Covid restrictions. The tour was rescheduled, starting in Belfast in April 2022 and finishing at London's O2 Arena in May 2022.
2021 - 'Heartbreak Anthem'
Little Mix teamed up with Galantis and David Guetta on the huge track 'Heartbreak Anthem', which was released in May 2021. The song reached Number 3 on the UK Singles Chart and is certified Platinum.
2021 - Madame Tussauds waxwork
In July 2021, Madame Tussauds London unveiled a new waxwork of the Little Mix girls to celebrate the band's 10-year anniversary!
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.
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 and Perrie give birth!
In August 2021, Perrie and her fiance Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain welcomed their baby boy, Axel. Also in August, Leigh-Anne shared the lovely news that she and her now-husband Andre Gray had welcomed twins!
2021 - 'Between Us'
Celebrating their 10th anniversary in style, the girls released their surprise greatest hits album 'Between Us', on 12th November 2021. The album reached Number 3 on the UK Singles Chart and is certified Platinum.
2021 - Leigh-Anne's movie Boxing Day
Perrie and Jade supported Leigh-Anne at the premiere of her first ever movie called Boxing Day in November 2021, with all three girls looking fabulous on the red carpet.
2021 - Hiatus announcement
Little Mix announced they would be going on hiatus in December 2021 to focus on their individual careers, but reassured fans that it wasn't the end of the group.
2022 - Little Mix's final show before hiatus
In May 2022, Little Mix performed their final concert before their hiatus at London's O2 Arena, performing an epic show consisting of 23 huge songs. Fans could also watch a stream of the concert from home too!
Present
Perrie, Jade and Leigh-Anne have gone forward with their solo careers in hugely exciting ways - in fashion, charity work and solo music, of course.
Find out what Perrie Edwards is up to...
Find out what Leigh-Anne Pinnock is up to...
Find out what Jade Thirlwall is up to...
You can hear Little Mix's biggest hits on heat radio.
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