Little Mix: Ready to Fly. Little Mix

got knocked back three times before we got put in the band, so it was disheartening at times, but I kept picking myself back up again. I was so determined to show Gary that I did have potential.

      At first I was put in a group with loads of boys for the initial task, and when we performed before the judges Gary was smiling when it came to my part. He later said that he had seen a lot of people at auditions that he didn’t think were good enough to go through, but he’d since changed his mind about them after seeing them at Bootcamp. I was like ‘Yeah!’ – I was well happy.

      I was feeling hopeful after that, but then Louis called us back on stage and said none of us had star quality. My heart sank. The thought of going home and telling everyone I hadn’t got through was so horrible. I went off stage and I was sobbing. All the cameras were in my face but I didn’t want to talk to anyone. I went into the toilet and sat there and cried and cried. My sister Jade called me, and I had to tell her I’d been sent home. She offered to come and pick me up and I was so grateful – I just wanted to get out of there.

      One of the researchers came in to see me and gave me a cuddle and asked me if I’d do an interview, but I didn’t want to be on camera crying. She said she’d come back in ten minutes, and I was planning to do a runner so I would get away without doing it. Then she came back in and said it was best for me if I stayed. I was in two minds, but she said it was for my own good, so I was intrigued.

      

      Jesy and Leigh-Anne at the sound check for the tour

      In the end I agreed and when I walked out I saw about 30 people standing around. We got told they were going to choose some people to put in a group, and I was praying they’d choose me. Originally the thought of being in a group would have horrified me, but now the idea of having to go through the whole audition process again the following year felt so much worse. I would have done anything to stay.

      When my name got called out I was so happy. My poor sister was waiting outside for me. She was desperately trying to call me while I was waiting to hear my fate, but I didn’t answer my phone. She must have felt as confused as I did.

      I was put in a group with Jade and Leigh-Anne, and we sat up until four in the morning rehearsing that night, even though we had to get up at six. Then I got taken out of that group and put with three other girls, including Perrie, and I was gutted because one of the girls was very open about the fact that she didn’t want to work with us. Jade, Leigh-Anne and I had worked so hard together and I thought we’d had a really good chance at making it through.

      In the end both of our groups got rejected so I decided that was that. Then out of nowhere Jade, Leigh-Anne, Perrie and I got put together and I could not believe it. I kept thinking, ‘How many chances am I going to get?’ But as soon as we sang together it just worked.

      I know Jade’s already said it, but it was like fate. Leigh-Anne and I shared a room at Bootcamp, then we met Jade and became really good friends with her, and then we met Perrie when I was put in the band with her. It was so strange how it worked out.

      I would hate to be a solo singer again now. I don’t know how people like Amelia and Mischa get on stage and sing on their own. I would be so scared. The girls are like my safety net, and I don’t get nervous the way I used to, because I know we’ve all got each other’s backs.

       LEIGH-ANNE: I carried on waitressing after my audition, and I also applied to university so I would have something to fall back on if The X Factor didn’t work out. But I couldn’t wait to get to Bootcamp.

      When I got there I was surrounded by all these amazing singers and I started to doubt myself, because I didn’t see why I would get chosen out of all of those talented people. Then when I had to perform I don’t know what happened, but something came out of me and I started jumping around on stage and really going for it. Something clicked and I knew I had to get through it. It felt like my one shot to do it. Then we got put into groups and we had to perform together, and I enjoyed that so much more than I thought I would. For the first time I began to wonder if there could be something about being in a girl band after all.

      I was so gutted when I got a no after the first Bootcamp challenge. I got my belongings together and was ready to leave, but then a group of us got asked to stay, and I knew that I was going to get asked to be in a girl group.

      I was put with Jade and Jesy, and then they took Jesy out and put a girl called Shanty in our group. She was lovely and we worked really well together, so I was gutted she didn’t go through. But I shared a room with Jesy at Bootcamp and we’d got on so well and been a great support for each other. Also Jade and Jesy had been told before that they’d be good in a girl band, so we’d planned to stick together so the judges could see how well we worked together.

      Jesy got put in a group with Perrie and we knew it was either our group or theirs that would go through, because we were too alike for them to choose both. I was stunned when we were both given no’s, but then they called Jesy, Perrie, Jade and me back on to the stage and said they wanted us to be a band. That’s when I realised one hundred per cent that I had to be in a group – especially with the other three girls. I loved having other people to support me.

      After being so introverted as a child, it’s so weird to think that now I perform to thousands of people and I don’t get nervous. My confidence is growing all the time, and I credit the girls with a lot of that because they’ve boosted me whenever I’ve got down or doubted myself.

      I used to get so nervous when I was a solo artist, and I never felt I properly performed. I would just stand there feeling really nervous. It was like there was something missing. Now I feel as if I’ve found my place. I know where I belong and there’s a special spark between us all. I was meant to be with these girls.

      We were so happy when we found out that Tulisa was going to be looking after groups, because she’s the judge we really wanted to work with. We felt she believed in us from the start and she was so down to earth and lovely. She was like the final piece of the Little Mix puzzle.