JESY Nelson says she was “mortified” by X Factor judge Gary Barlow who “tore her to s***” after her audition.
The pop star broke down in tears after leaving the stage over the Take That singer’s criticism of her solo performance.
Jesy, who was working as a barmaid in Dagenham when she applied for The X Factor aged 20, admits the moment was an early warning she was going to “struggle in the industry”.
Jesy, now 34, auditioned on her own before Gary’s co-judge Kelly Rowland put her in a group with Perrie Edwards, Jade Thirlwall and Leigh-Anne Pinnock who would go on to become Little Mix.
Speaking about being on the show in 2011, Jesy says in her new Prime Video documentary, Life After Little Mix: “When I watch back my audition I actually don’t know how I got through, because I’m just like ‘that was awful’.
“I was gutted that Simon Cowell wasn’t there that year. Gary Barlow was meant to be the Simon of that year and he absolutely hated me.”
A clip shows Gary say after her performance: “Sorry Jesy, I didn’t like that audition at all. I thought it lacked individuality and I found it very generic.”
Speaking to the camera in her new docuseries, out on February 13, Jesy said: “From the minute he tore me to s***, I just wanted to walk off stage.
“I didn’t care what anyone else had to say.
“I was mortified. I just kept thinking I can’t believe all my friends are going to see this, I’m so embarrassed.
“The rest said lovely comments and I got through but the one comment, which just sums me up, was the one that really got in my head.
“I think there were very early signs from my first audition that I was probably going to struggle.
“I remember when I came off stage I was really crying and they were saying, ‘Jesy can you just say to the camera – Gary I’m going to prove you wrong’.
“My mum could see how distraught I was and asked if they would mind not filming me.”
Jesy’s new six-part docuseries follows her journey into motherhood as she reflects back on her time in Little Mix.
It’s the first time she’s opened up about quitting the band in 2020.
Read our full interview with Jesy about hope of reconciling with her former Little Mix friends and mending her relationship with Simon Cowell here.
