Leigh-Anne Pinnock on Little Mix, family and self belief
‘I’m so tired of doubting myself, I wanted to show how important it is to own your power and just take it, and that’s what I’m doing’
Those were Leigh-Anne Pinnock’s words, as she spoke about her 2023 memoir, Believe.
Pinnock was appearing in conversation with Chidera Eggerue, aka The Slumflower, in our Royal Festival Hall as part of our 2023 London Literature Festival and the Black British Book Festival, and you can now watch a full recording of the event.
In an engaging hour Pinnock talks about her drive to become a pop star and how that helped her as she faced feelings of isolation and being unseen as the sole Black woman in the girl group Little Mix, and through the disorientating impact of sudden stardom that came from being catapulted into the limelight through television talent show The X Factor.
Pinnock also discusses the positive impact of her family and friends, and the support they have continued to offer throughout the many stages of career, as well as getting to a place where she can now feel real pride in her work, and prioritise self belief over external validation.
‘You can spend your life trying to please people and be a certain way for people. Just do you; that is enough and it has always been enough’
Leigh-Anne Pinnock
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