17 facts you'd love to know about Little Mix's Leigh-Anne Pinnock ✨
She's now a solo star!
Leigh-Anne Pinnock was one-third of one of the biggest girl bands in the world, so it's no surprise the Little Mix singer is loving life right now! Leigh-Anne's relationship with footballer Andre Gray has reached new heights as they're now married AND welcomed twins back in August 2021 - and her career is going from strength to strength too!
Although Leigh-Anne, Perrie Edwards and Jade Thirlwall announced they would be taking a break from Little Mix, Leigh-Anne is still very busy, making her acting debut and continuing with her swimwear brand. As we enjoy her solo music, including songs 'Stealin' Love', and 'Forbidden Fruit', along with her EP called 'No Hard Feelings', we're also looking forward to her debut solo album, and Hits Radio Live performance. Here are just a few interesting facts you might not know about Leigh-Anne Pinnock...
1) She's from High Wycombe
Although many fans assume she's from London, Leigh-Anne is actually from High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire. With Barbadian and Jamaican ancestry, Leigh-Anne's parents are Deborah Thornhill and John L. Pinnock.
2) She has two older sisters
Leigh-Anne was the baby of the family growing up, and has two older sisters named Sian-Louise and Sairah. Although the family all have share a resemblance, Leigh-Anne's similarity to her sister Sairah is uncanny!
3) Leigh-Anne sang Rihanna's 'Only Girl (In The World)' at her X Factor audition
A huge fan of Rihanna, Leigh-Anne took on her song 'Only Girl (In The World)' for her audition on The X Factor all the way back in 2011.
4) She was in a separate girl group with Jade Thirwall at boot camp
All four of Little Mix were split off into different girl groups to start with - Jade and Leigh-Anne were together in a group called Orion, whilst Jesy and Perrie were in Faux Pas.
When neither of those worked out, the four girls were put together as Rhythmix at Boot Camp, and the first time they performed together was in the Judges' Houses round, where they performed a beautiful rendition of 'Big Girls Don't Cry' by Fergie.
5) She and Jade are songwriters
Although all four girls in Little Mix are credited as songwriters on their albums, Leigh-Anne and Jade have a special gift for writing songs, and signed to Sony's TwentySeven publishing group as songwriters in April 2019!
6) Leigh-Anne has two dogs
Just like her Little Mix band mates, Leigh-Anne is obsessed with dogs and shares two pooches with her boyfriend Andre. After coming home from a trip to Japan in March 2018, Leigh-Anne was welcomed by a puppy called Kyro.
Taking to Instagram, Leigh-Anne wrote, 'Completely and utterly obsessed.. came home from Japan to find this baba waiting for me 😍❤️ meet Kyro 😍❤️'. (sic)
As well as Kyro, Leigh-Anne also has a super cute dog called Harvey, bringing home the pup to celebrate Little Mix's first ever Number 1 single.
7) Little Mix are like sisters to her
Ok, we know this is kind of an obvious one - but the Little Mix bond is genuinely an unbreakable one! Since being put together on The X Factor, Leigh-Anne, Jade and Perrie have been the best of friends ever since!
She has credited the girls with helping her through a dark time when she was attacked online by cruel trolls. She said, "I mean, I am just lucky to have the girls. To have the unit. I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have that."
Ahead of their hiatus, the girl's released their track 'Between Us', which beautifully describes the deep, unbreakable bond the girls have with one another.
8) She loves a makeup-free selfie
Despite constantly being in the public eye, Leigh-Anne isn't shy in showing off her natural beauty on her social media pages. The 'My Love' singer often shares stunning selfies, leaving fans loving her look.
9) She co-owns a swimwear brand called IN'A'SEASHELL
Leigh-Anne announced her swimwear brand IN'A'SEASHELL back in April 2019. Having worked on the business with her close friend Gabrielle Urquhart, Leigh-Anne celebrated the first anniversary of the company back in April 2020.
10) She's also well into fashion
Leigh-Anne has been working with fashion brand ASOS on a brand new line! Taking to her Instagram on 9th November 2020, Leigh-Anne wrote: 'IT'S FINALLY HERE 🤩 So excited to share my @asos Style Edit with you all ✨ I had so much fun working on this and can't wait to see how you guys style up my favourite ASOS pieces.'
11) She does things for charity
After weeks of training, a bunch of well-known celebs including Leigh-Anne and Jade reached the top of Mount Kilimanjaro in aid of Comic Relief on 4th March 2019.
Sharing some super sweet snaps of her and her bestie, Leigh-Anne wrote on Instagram: 'Climbing Kilimanjaro was the hardest most gruelling thing I’ve ever put my body through but I have to say I have learnt that I am so much stronger than I ever thought I was. I pushed my body to the limit, never gave up and conquered!
'I feel so privileged to have met such beautiful people that I now see as friends for life. We were a unit and we stuck together and we touched that sign together. A moment i’ll never forget. I am so proud of what we’ve done, something I know is going to make a massive difference to so many lives!'
12) She's an actress!
Leigh-Anne appeared in 2021 Christmas movie Boxing Day, playing the role of singer Georgia in her debut movie role.
After attending the premiere for the film, Leigh-Anne told fans online: 'What an overwhelmingly incredible night... 😍🥺❤️ Watching back my acting debut and seeing little old me as a leading lady in a whole MOVIE! 😭@warnerbrosuk @amlameenbaby THANK YOU for taking a chance on me ❤️ #BoxingDayTheFilm OUT DECEMBER 3rd! A film we ALL need right now 😍❤️'. (sic)
13) ...And an audio book narrator
In March 2023, the wonderful news was announced that Leigh-Anne's stunning voice would now be available to listen to on Audible - as she narrates the original Hans Christian Anderson version of The Little Mermaid!
The news was announced on Audible's official Instagram, as well as Leigh-Anne sharing a heartwarming post herself. She wrote: 'I'm so excited to be narrating the original Hans Christian Anderson version of The Little Mermaid exclusively for @audible_uk 🧜🏽♀️ 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 💕 I hope you all enjoy listening as much as I enjoyed narrating it! x'. (sic)
14) AND an author!
Whew, this girl can do it all! Leigh-Anne has written a memoir called Believe, which was released in October 2023.
15) Her and footballer husband Andre Gray are relationship goals
Leigh-Anne has been dating footballer Andre since 2016. The pair moved in together in 2018, and Leigh-Anne and Andre became engaged on their fourth anniversary in May 2020!
The happy couple then welcomed twins in August 2021, but they've so far kept the gender and names private.
16) She's released her debut solo single!
In February 2022, Leigh-Anne revealed that she'd signed a solo record deal with Warner Records and sent fans into overdrive. In June 2023, Leigh-Anne released her debut solo single, called 'Don't Say Love'. She followed it up with her second solo single 'My Love'.
17) She has an 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.
On the day she received the honour, Leigh-Anne was surprised by a flash mob of dance and performance students, who performed to her solo single 'Don't Say Love'.
Have a read through Leigh-Anne and Andre's adorable relationship timeline:
December 2016: Leigh-Anne and Andre confirmed they were an item
Leigh-Anne has been dating Watford footballer Andre since 2016. She made it Instagram official in January 2017 by posting a photo of him hugging her, with the caption, 'Gonna miss this one 💔'.
March 2017: Andre surprised Leigh-Anne on tour
Little Mix supported Ariana Grande on her American Leg of the Dangerous Woman Tour. Whilst they were away, Andre flew out to surprise Leigh-Anne, which she was over the moon with! Taking to Instagram, she posted an image of the moment he surprised her, with the emoji, '🌍'.
June 2017: The pair fly away on their first holiday abroad
The pair went away on their first holiday together in June 2017. The duo both posted photos of their adventure, mostly of them on a golden beach with the blue sky in the background. They didn't reveal the location of their holiday but Leigh-Anne did reveal she was in 'Paradise with my paradise 🌴😍❤️' in an Instagram post.
September 2017: The pair attend London Fashion week together
Leigh-Anne is no stranger to big celebrity parties and events, so it was no surprise to see her attend London Fashion Week in 2017. Andre made his red carpet debut with Leigh-Anne during fashion week 2017.
December 2017: The pair have their first Christmas together
In 2017, the pair spent their first Christmas together as official girlfriend and boyfriend.
January 2018: The pair ring in New Year together
Just a few days after spending Christmas together, the pair brought in the New Year together, toasting to lots to come in 2018! Taking to Instagram to tell her followers what she got up to, Leigh-Anne posted a photo of the pair together, writing, 'The missing piece to my puzzle 😍🙈.. cannot wait to see what 2018 has in store for us, you are everything ❤️❤️❤️'.
January 2018: The pair attend a London NBA game together
Leigh-Anne and Andre were pictured together looking cosy in the front row of a London NBA basketball game in January 2018. Leigh-Anne took to Instagram to post a playful picture of Andre, captioning it, 'When he refuses to smile I make him 😂❤️ #NBA'.
February 2018: The pair attend The Brit Awards
The pair attended The Brit Awards together in February 2018, making another red carpet appearance together. At this awards ceremony, Little Mix were nominated for Best British Single and British Artist Video with 'Touch'.
October 2018: Andre takes Leigh-Anne out for her birthday
Andre took Leigh-Anne out for her 27th birthday in October 2018. This was the second time she has celebrated her birthday with her footballer beau.
December 2018: The pair celebrate their two-year anniversary
The pair celebrated their two-year anniversary in December 2018.
November/December 2018: Leigh-Anne and Andre move in together
Around the same time as their two-year anniversary, the pair moved into a stunning mansion, taking their relationship to the next level.
Celebrating their second Christmas together, Leigh-Anne teased fans with a glimpse of her home when she posted a photo of the her and Andre hugging in front of their huge, white Christmas tree and feature spiral staircase. She captioned the image, 'Sometimes I wish I could put it into words.. but I just can't.. 🤷🏽♀️ I couldn't love you anymore if I tried. First Christmas in our new home together.. Merry Christmas everyone from our family to yours 😍❤️'.
February 2019: The pair attend The Brit Awards
The pair attended their second Brit Awards ceremony together, after their successful debut the year before. This year Little Mix won the British Artist Video Award for 'Woman Like Me'.
March 2019: Andre appeared in Little Mix's 'Think About Us' music video
Andre featured in Little Mix's music video for their song 'Think About Us'. Leigh-Anne set pulses racing when she uploaded a steamy behind-the-scenes clip from the shoot on her Instagram, which showed Leigh-Anne hooked onto Andre's naked torso. Let's just say her followers went wild in the comments section!
June 2019: The pair jet off on another summer holiday
In June 2019, the pair set off on their annual summer holiday, taking a break from their busy schedules and enjoying the sunshine. Leigh-Anne posted some loved up pictures on her Instagram but kept the holiday pretty private and didn't reveal where they had jetted off to.
April 2020: The pair social distance together
Leigh-Anne and Andre were able to spend some valuable time together between March-June 2020, as the UK was put on lockdown due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
May 2020: The couple celebrate their fourth anniversary
On Thursday 28th May, Leigh-Anne shared a super cute message to Andre on her Instagram page, as the couple celebrated their fourth anniversary.
Sharing a photo of the pair on holiday, Leigh-Anne wrote, 'Happy Anniversary baby... how has 4 years gone so fast! 😩❤️ all I know is I'm another year more crazy about you. I couldn't love you harder if I tried ❤️❤️'. (sic)
May 2020: They're ENGAGED!
In the early hours of the morning after their anniversary, Andre popped the question... And she said yes! Congratulations to the wonderful couple!
July 2020: Leigh-Anne shows of her amazing engagement ring
Just weeks after THAT engagement, Leigh-Anne posted this snap to her Instagram page, showing off the stunning emerald diamond ring Andre popped the question with.
May 2021: The couple announce their pregnancy 💕
Leigh-Anne announced her pregnancy in May 2021 in an INCREDIBLE photoshoot! She wrote on Instagram: '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. ❤️😍.'
August 2021: Leigh-Anne and Andre welcome TWINS
Shocking the world, Leigh-Anne announced she'd given birth to not one, but two babies on Monday 16th August, sharing this adorable photo!
2023: Leigh-Anne and Andre tie the knot
Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Andre Gray tied the knot in Jamaica. The exact date of the wedding is unknown, and Leigh-Anne hasn't posted any pics from the day, however she told her fans in a newsletter: '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 us. Thank you for showing us so much love and support.'
June 2023: Leigh-Anne shows off her new wedding ring
Leigh-Anne married her beau Andre Gray in 2023, in a low-key ceremony in Jamaica. The singer then returned to the UK to start promoting her debut solo song 'Don't Say Love'. While out promoting the song she was spotted showing off her gorgeous ring.
Leigh-Anne later told us about their wedding, saying she walked down the aisle to Jahméne from The X Factor singing, and their first dance was dvsn's 'The Line'.
June 2023: Leigh-Anne and Andre enjoy their honeymoon
Leigh-Anne shared 10 stunning photos from her honeymoon with Andre to Instagram in early July. She wrote: 'Honeymooning with you. I miss this and I miss you.'
July 2023: Leigh-Anne shares pictures from her and Andre's wedding
Leigh-Anne shared a series of stunning wedding snaps on her Instagram page as she gave fans a glimpse of her special day.
June 2024: Leigh-Anne and Andre celebrate first wedding anniversary
On 5th June 2024, Leigh-Anne took to her Instagram page as she celebrated her first wedding anniversary with Andre. Leigh-Anne posted this cute selfie along with some other snaps, with the caption: 'Happy 1 Year 💍 Anniversary my love @andregray_ ❤️ f--k knows how it's been a year already.. but here's to many more ❤️'.
June 2024: Leigh-Anne says her relationship is now in a 'beautiful place'
During an interview on TikTok at the end of June, Leigh-Anne candidly opened up about her relationship with Andre, confessing he was the last man to 'break her heart'. She said: "I learnt the power of forgiveness. I'm still with the person who broke my heart and he went out of his way to change for me. I think if you can actually get to the other side and make it through it, it makes it all worthwhile."
Leigh-Anne went on to reveal she's now in a 'beautiful place' with Andre.
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