Suffice to say, Jade Thirwall and Harry Styles weren’t written in the stars. While serving as a guest on Louis Theroux’s podcast episode posted Tuesday (Jan. 21), the Little Mix star reflected on meeting the One Direction alum during their early days on The X Factor, revealing that they went on one date before a certain teen heartthrob ghosted her.
While talking about her career beginnings on Simon Cowell’s talent competition show, Thirlwall shared that she and Styles met — and hit it off — when both of them were auditionees. “I think we went on like one date when we were 16 or something,” she said. “He’d just got put in a band, and it was really funny, because we kept in touch. Then the minute they went on live shows, he didn’t message me back.”
“I thought, ‘That’s it, now he’s gone. He’s made it,’” the “IT Girl” singer continued, laughing.
Thirlwall tried out for The X Factor in 2010, but didn’t make the cut. That same year, Styles also auditioned and was sorted into One Direction with bandmates Liam Payne — who died in October — Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan. The boy band placed third on the show.
The next year, Thirlwall re-auditioned for X Factor, this time earning a spot in girl group Little Mix alongside Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Perrie Edwards and Jesy Nelson. After she made it onto the show — later winning the season with her band — the “Angel of My Dreams” musician says she ran into Styles again.
“He was like, ‘I’m really sorry I ignored you,’” she recalled. “I was so young, it didn’t really matter. But he was always very, very lovely. He’s gotten himself to where he is because he’s very talented and he’s very lovely. Very charming.”
Little Mix went on to release six studio albums between 2012 and 2020, notching three singles on the Billboard Hot 100. Nelson left the group at the end of 2020, and the remaining trio announced a hiatus the following year.
In 2024, Thirlwall finally kicked off her solo career with the release of debut single “Angel of My Dreams.” She’s since dropped the tracks “Midnight Cowboy,” “Fantasy” and “IT Girl.”
Listen to Thirlwall talk about Styles and Payne on The Louis Theroux Podcast below.
