She grew up in South Shields before becoming famous worldwide with Little Mix.
And in an extract obtained exclusively by MailOnline from new book The Female Lead: We Rise By Lifting Others, Jade Thirlwall, 28, reflects on recovering after her troubled teens were thwarted by racism, tragedy and body image woes.
The pop star admits: 'I was bullied, my grandad died and I got an eating disorder' and confesses that she was 'desperate' to change how she looked 'to feel more accepted,' as she gets candid about her complex struggles.
EXCLUSIVE: In The Female Lead: We Rise By Lifting Others, Jade Thirlwall, 28, reflects on recovering after her troubled teens were thwarted by racism, tragedy and body image woes
Setting the scene, Jade touches on her mixed heritage and details growing up in a multicultural space, writing: 'I grew up in South Shields, a small northern working-class town. My mam worked at my primary school as a business manager, my dad as a taxi driver.
'My dad's side of the family are white, my Mam is mixed; my Grandad was Yemeni, and my Nanna was Egyptian – she passed away when away when my Mam was little. It was a multicultural environment.
'My Grandad was keen on celebrating our heritage and cooking Yemeni food. We lived next to the mosque and 35 different languages were spoken at my school.
'I was shy and timid but I found that I could express myself on stage, singing and dancing. I always felt loved and protected growing up, especially by my Grandad, who was a beautiful person.'
Real talk: The pop star admits: 'I was bullied, my grandad died and I got an eating disorder' and confesses that she was 'desperate' to change how she looked 'to feel more accepted'
Setting the scene: Jade touches on her mixed heritage and details growing up in a multicultural space (Pictured as a baby with mum Norma after brother Karl
Sadly, Jade explains how her life completely changed for the worse overnight when she started secondary school and began being bullied.
'The minute I went to secondary school things changed. I was the only person from my primary who went to my predominantly white Catholic secondary and, immediately, I had no friends and I was an easy target.
'My Mam sent me there because it was one of the best schools in the borough and she thought she was doing the right thing.
'During my secondary years, there was a lot of bullying, my grandad passed away, and I developed an eating disorder.
'I was given a school 'buddy', someone who would keep an eye on me and help me – it was through them that I met my best friend Holly [Robinson]. We've been inseparable since and live together now in London.
Fond memories: 'I was shy and timid but I found that I could express myself on stage, singing and dancing. I always felt loved and protected growing up'
Teen days: Sadly, Jade explains how her life completely changed for the worse overnight when she started secondary school and began being bullied (Pictured in 2009)
'The first time I did X Factor, the show on which Little Mix was formed, I was 15 and I didn't want anyone to know. But the show sent a camera crew to my school and I had to stand on stage and say, "I'm through to boot camp!"
'I got sent home in the first week. It was humiliating and, as a teenager, the worst thing in the world. But, weirdly, being seen on telly scored me a few cool points at school.
'The second time I did X Factor, I was 17. It was the year that One Direction were put together; there was a girl band called Belle Amie, but I didn't get in.
'The third time, I didn't actually want to go on X Factor. My older brother [Karl], who has always been a big champion of mine, said, "Jade, just go. I know how much you want this, and you never know - third time lucky!"
'So I went, I was put in Little Mix, and the rest is history. We have been together 10 years and I find that we are still trying to prove ourselves.'
Third time lucky: 'I was put in Little Mix, and the rest is history. We have been together 10 years and I find that we are still trying to prove ourselves' (Pictured in 2011)
Girl talk: Jade also delves into how it was vital that when accepting their first BRIT, Little Mix paid tribute to girl bands who paved the way
Jade also delves into her experience as a woman in the world of entertainment and how it was vital to Little Mix that when accepting their first Brit Award, they paid tribute to girl bands who paved the way.
'In the music industry, misogyny and sexism still exist. For a girl band, it's hard to be taken seriously and not constantly sexualised.
'One of the blessings of social media is that you can now be successful without having to beg a record label to sign you or having to listen Jade Thirlwall to what sort of artist anyone else thinks you should be.
'Artists like Billie Eilish, who is so authentic, are inspiring for people
