Little Mix's Leigh-Anne Pinnock ‘Carrying Around Pain For 9 Years’ As She Discusses Experiences Of Racism On This Morning

9 June 2020, 11:57 | Updated: 10 June 2020, 11:03

Little Mix’s Leigh-Anne Pinnock feared “not enough people cared” when she opened up about her experiences of racism last year.

Leigh-Anne Pinnock has long been vocal about her experiences of racism as part of one of the biggest girlbands in the world, Little Mix, but admitted today she felt “not enough people cared” about her struggle with racial inequality when she’s spoken out in the past.

During an interview with Holly Willoughby and Philip Schofield on This Morning, Leigh-Anne said she didn’t feel enough people were listening.

Little Mix’s Leigh-Anne Pinnock Films For New Racism Documentary At Black Lives Matter Protest

The 28-year-old said: “I spoke about my experiences briefly last year and I just didn’t feel enough people cared or enough people were listening.

“This is the first time in my life the whole world is speaking out racism and black lives and I’m so overwhelmed by it.

“I need to get rid of this pain I’ve been carrying around for nine years and hopefully relate to people.”

Little Mix's Leigh-Anne Pinnock speaks out about her experience of racism on This Morning

Addressing the viral video she posted of her experiences of racism in her career, Leigh-Anne added: “I just thought it was the right time to post it.”

The pop star said she was also often told her feelings of misplacement were “in her head” and could only turn to her family with her how she felt.

“A lot of people would say to me, ‘it’s in your head,’ ‘of course people love you, what do you mean?’ And my team - I only have one mixed race lady who works for me… I tour predominately to white countries and that sense of feeling like a misplacement sort of feeling and not like I really belonged

“I could only really speak to my family and my friends and I felt a lot of people didn’t understand why I felt the way I did. When I watch that video back I can see how much pain I’m carrying.”

Leigh-Anne Pinnock opens up about her experiences of racism in Little Mix

Leigh-Anne added she feels for the first time people are beginning to gain an understanding of what the Black Lives Matter movement is really representing.

She continued: “Now people are actually starting to understand and starting to educate themselves and see that this problem is massive and we need to talk about it and there needs to be a change. We can’t go on like this anymore - over 400 years of oppression, it can’t go on anymore.”

Leigh-Anne was seen filming for her new documentary on racism at the protests in London this week, describing the rallies as “one of the most beautiful experiences of my life.”

Singer and TV presenter Jamelia also joined the show to discuss her own experiences of racism, saying now is the prime opportunity to have important discussions about social inequality.

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