Former Little Mix star Perrie Edwards discusses ‘hellish’ split from Zayn Malik

By Carla Feric, Press Association Entertainment Reporter

Former Little Mix star Perrie Edwards has told of her “hellish” split from ex-fiance Zayn Malik, and claimed “there was a bit of an overlap” with his next relationship.

The singer, 32, also reflected on how “tough” it was to navigate their break-up and her “heartbreak” in the public eye, saying she struggled with “serious breakdowns”.

Edwards met Malik during her time on The X Factor in 2011, where she won the talent show alongside bandmates Jade Thirlwall, Jesy Nelson and Leigh-Anne Pinnock in pop group Little Mix.

The pair announced their relationship in 2012 and were engaged for almost two years, but they split in 2015.

Speaking to Jamie Laing on his Great Company podcast, Edwards opened up about how difficult she found the break-up, and said she felt “ridiculed” and was “crying constantly”.

She said: “When you go through heartbreak, it is hellish. You can’t eat. You can’t sleep. You feel horrendous.

“You feel abandoned and you don’t feel good enough, and you feel like you’ve been left for something better, or whatever it is.

“What makes it even worse is I feel like the world was then looking at me, laughing at me.

“I had like serious breakdowns, because it wasn’t just the heartbreak I was dealing with. I was dealing with everybody looking at me and I felt ridiculed.”

The Shout Out To My Ex singer went on to say she “couldn’t cope” but felt she “had to be there” and “power through” for the sake of her bandmates.

“I also was getting followed every two seconds and asked about it 24/7, and it was the headlines, it was everywhere, and it was a lot,” she added.

Laing asked her whether Malik found the break-up as difficult, and Edwards responded: “There was a bit of an overlap.

“I think when you’re moving on with somebody else you always get on better. When you’re the one left behind, that’s when it’s hard.

“It’s like, ‘oh shit, they’ve left me for someone more beautiful than me, someone better than me’. Whatever it is, that’s how it felt at the time.

“Then you have a song that they’ve written about you, but then someone else is in the (music) video – it was one thing after the other.

“I just remember that, and it was the nail in the coffin.”

Malik, who rose to fame in One Direction, started dating model Gigi Hadid in 2015 and she starred in the music video for his debut solo single Pillowtalk a year later.

The pair split in 2021, but have a daughter together named Khai.

Edwards is currently engaged to footballer Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and the couple have two children together – son Axel and daughter Alanis Valentine.

Reflecting on her current relationship, she told Laing she thinks it is an example of “healthy love”, and said: “I just love how calm he is and how understanding he is and how caring he is and thoughtful he is.

“I just feel safe with Alex. I feel just content and happy and it’s not effort.”

Malik has been contacted for comment.