So you may be asking, what’s so special about the 26th of December? Is it simply the day after Christmas? No, it’s Jade Thirlwall’s birthday! The amazing vocalist from the powerful 4-piece girl group Little Mix is turning 27, and to celebrate this momentous occasion, we’ve made a list of our favorite Jade moments and reasons why we love her.
1. She is an advocate for LGBTQ rights
Jade has never been afraid to speak out about her belief that all people deserve to be treated equally, no matter who they love. She has made it very clear that she is an ally for the LGBTQIA+ community and is always working to create awareness and advocate for change.
2. She dedicated “Secret Love Song” to LGBTQ fans
Little Mix’s song “Secret Love Song” has powerful lyrics written about a forbidden LGBTQ relationship. Jade dedicated the song to mixers who are part of the LGBTQ community, so every performance of this song is extra meaningful.
3. She is an ambassador for Stonewall
Jade is the ambassador for Stonewall, an LGBTQ organization in Britain. She attended her first Pride parade (Stonewall’s Youth Pride event) with the charity and she also led the group by marching at the front of the parade in Manchester.
4. She participates in nonprofit organizations and charities
For several years, it has become a tradition for Jade to participate in the Boxing Day Dip in order to raise money for Cancer Connections. In addition to running into the North Sea to raise money for the charity Cancer Connections, she has also donated her clothes to help support the organization. The charity provides support for cancer patients in South Shields by offering therapy, counseling, as well as welfare advice. She has been a patron for several years and participated in the charity since she was 14. To add to all of this, she also gave a speech at the 10th anniversary of Cancer Connections.
5. She climbed Mt Kilimanjaro
Jade climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa, in order to raise money for Red Nose Day, which aims to put an end to child poverty. While going up the mountain, she was affected by altitude sickness and got a fever, which resulted in her vomiting. Despite these setbacks, she didn’t let this stop her and was determined to continue so that she could support Comic Relief, the organization behind Red Nose Day.
6. She encourages fans to embrace themselves
Whether it comes to body positivity or supporting LGBTQIA+ fans, Jade is always actively encouraging everyone to accept themselves and love their body the way they are. She tells all mixers that they are beautiful and that she loves them regardless of their religion, race, sexuality, or what their body is like.
7. She is open about her own body struggles
Jade has opened up to fans about her past conflicts with her own physical appearance. When she was younger she suffered from anorexia nervosa. She shared her story and experience with the eating disorder in order to bring awareness and encourage people to speak out and seek treatment, and to inspire others while they are recovering.
In addition, after she participated in a magazine photoshoot, she discovered that the editors airbrushed her nose. This experience pushed her to consider getting a nose job, but ultimately, she decided not to undergo surgery. Instead, she used this incident as a chance to incite fans to love themselves without feeling pressured to conform to societal ideals of beauty.
8. Jade is not afraid to speak out and take risks
Jade not only speaks out against inequality, but she serves as a source of inspiration for others to do the same. In her speech at the British LGBT Awards, she commented on how easy it is to serve as an ally for the LGBTQIA+ community. She made a reference to when Little Mix performed ‘Secret Love Song’ in Dubai, a place where there are laws against homosexuality and punishment for individuals displaying LGBTQIA+ visuals.
9. Jade stands up for equality and women’s rights
Jade is a feminist and has discussed the misconception around the term. She has mentioned that feminism is believing in equality between men and women, and she has talked about the difficulty that females and girl groups face in the music industry. Jade admitted that Little Mix faces criticism for their lyrics, their choreography, how they dress and how much skin they show. Yet, through it all, they remain unphased and choose to continue to make music and wear outfits that are authentic to themselves, regardless of what anyone else thinks.
10. She’s inspires others to make their voices heard
Jade isn’t afraid to use her platform as a member of one of the biggest girl groups in the world to encourage fans to vote or get involved with their government. She incites fans to register to vote or sign petitions and is always finding new ways to push fans to be more active with politics.
11. Her love for Rupaul’s Drag Race
Rupaul’s Drag Race is one of Jade’s favorite shows. She has mentioned the series by name on multiple occasions, so it was a dream come true when she was asked to be a guest star on the show. She was even given a drag name by Willam, a contest from season 4 of RuPaul’s Drag Race.
12. She goes all out for her birthday
Jade always goes all out and is stylish no matter what she does. She had an idol costume party for her 26th birthday and dressed as one of her greatest singing inspirations, Diana Ross. And let’s not forget her iconic 25th birthday party where she and her guests all dressed up as drag queens.
13. Her cute accent
Jade is particularly known for her especially strong Geordie accent. When she talks really fast certain words can become unrecognizable, which has led to funny moments between her and the other Little Mix members, as well as their fans.
14. Her hilarious attitude
In Little Mix’s YouTube series Eat In With Little Mix, Jade made it clear that she personally didn’t tolerate cheating during the cooking competition. However, when it came time for her to make a meal for Perrie, Leigh-Anne, and Jesy, her stance on the issue changed. If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em!
15. Her love for Disney
Jade is no different from the rest of us who love the magical world and happiest place on earth, Disney. She loves all things Disney, whether it be songs, movies, the amusement parks, or any Disney-related object. She’s even had Disney-themed parties, slippers, and Christmas trees and her dream was to be a Disney princess.
16. She is a meme queen
One of the funniest things about Jade is that she is a living, walking meme. She is naturally hilarious and is always making weird facial expressions or funny impressions that fans are constantly turning into gifs and memes.
17. Her cooking skills
There’s nothing like some homemade cooking by Jade Thirlwall! In episode 2 of Eat In With Little Mix, Jade made some mince and dumplings, in addition to recreating the angel of the north (a statue in Gateshead, Newcastle) out of Rice Krispies. She also made cornflake tarts and khubz Arabia (pita or flatbread). Jade is proof that you can be a threat on stage as well in the kitchen.
18. Her love for BLACKPINK
Some of you guys may not know this, but Jade is a blink! She is not afraid to showcase her love for the KPOP girl group BLACKPINK and has told fans a few times that she would love to collaborate with them on a song. She even attended their In Your Area tour at Wembley Arena in London.
19. Jade is a fashion icon
No matter the occasion, Jade always knows how to keep all eyes on her when she walks in the room. She always looks stylish everywhere she goes, and her outfit is always perfect.
20. She is the queen of sass
Jade is super sassy both on and off the stage. She’s not afraid to clapback at online trolls nor does she hold back when she’s performing with the other members of Little Mix. For every occasion, Jade is always at level 1000% of the sassy scale.
21. Her tattoo
Jade has a tattoo along the spine of her back. She got it inked in order to remember her grandfather on her mother’s side, Mohammid Badwi. The reason. The tattoo is written in Arabic since is one-fourth Yemeni and one-fourth Egyptian and her grandfather was Arabic. The translation reads “Anyone can achieve their dream if they’ve got the courage.”
22. Her love for her family
Jade is extremely close with her family members. For her birthday she usually celebrates with them by running into the North Sea to raise money for Cancer Connections every year. In addition, her niece Amara, nephew Karl and mother Norma have made multiple appearances on her social media. It’s clear that family means a lot to Jade and that they play an important part in her life.
23. Her incredible vocals
Whether it’s high notes or low notes, Jade can hit them all flawlessly. She is an incredibly strong vocalist and makes singing look so easy. She has an amazing and wide range and the beautiful tone of her voice plays an important part in making Little Mix the incredible girl group that they are.
24. Her dancing abilities
Not only can Jade sing phenomenally, but she is a stunning dancer as well! She always puts 110% effort into everything she does, and works tirelessly to be the best performer that she can be. Jade is a well-rounded artist that proves you don’t have to sacrifice dancing in order to be a great singer.
25. Her friendship with her bandmates
One of the things that makes Little Mix stand out so much is the strength of their bond and friendship with each other. Jade is extremely close with all 3 of her bandmates. When it comes to choosing between Jerrie, Leighade or Jadesy, how could anyone possibly choose?
26. Her passion and determination
Some people may not know that Jade auditioned for X Factor twice. The first time was in 2008 and the second time was in 2011, where she was put into the group that would later be named Little Mix. Jade had always been passionate about her dream of becoming a performer, and she didn’t let her first failure prevent her from trying again. She has an incredible amount of tenacity. Her own perseverance led her to become the person that she is today. Little Mix wouldn’t be the same without her, and her hard work and refusal to give up is the greatest inspiration.
27. How she interacts with fans
Jade always lets her fans know that she is there for them and to listen to them. When she’s online she loves to reply to fans’ comments and thank them for their support. Many fans have told her that she has inspired their lives, and Jade is always so grateful for their words. She always ensures that mixers know how much they mean to all of Little Mix and is always offering words of encouragement in hopes of spreading positivity to the lives of her fans.
Happy 27th birthday Jade Thirlwall, you mean a lot to mixers. Your efforts in making the world a better place by spreading love to your fans, serving as an ally to the LGBTQIA+ community, and creating awareness for cancer, body image issues, and feminism do not go unnoticed. Thank you for everything you do, and for being your wonderful, beautiful, and inspirational self.
What are some of the reasons why you love Jade? Let us know by commenting down below or tweeting us at @thehoneypop!
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Featured image source: Instagram
