Little Mix’s Leigh-Anne Pinnock recalls first experiencing racism aged 9

Leigh-Anne Pinnock revealed she first experienced racism at the age of nine in a Channel 4 documentary.

The Little Mix star, 28, was joined by her parents on The Talk, which aired on Tuesday evening and saw British celebrities open up about facing racism and discrimination.

The singer recalled how a fellow pupil at her primary school said that she was from the “jungle,” leaving her “distraught.”

“In primary school, a boy wrote on a bit of paper, ‘Name: Leigh-Anne. Age: Nine. Nationality: Jungle,’” she said.

“I saw it, and my heart just dropped. I knew it was racism. I was nine years old, I knew it was racism. I was just distraught by it.”

She added that she wished that she had been “more educated” as a child so that she could “prepare [her]self” for racism.

“I just wish that I knew more back then, I just wish that I was more educated on this and I knew that, yeah, your race will hold you back a little bit,” she said.

“I just wish I knew that so I could prepare myself.”

Pinnock previously opened up about her experience of being a black woman in the music industry in a heartfelt video shared in June.

She explained how she would feel “anxious before fan events and signings” as she feared she was the “least favoured” member of Little Mix.

“My reality is constantly feeling like I have to work ten times harder and longer to make my case in the group, because my talent alone isn't enough,” she said.

Little Mix's Leigh-Anne Pinnock says she will continue speaking out against racism“My reality is all the times I felt invisible within my group.

'Part of me is fully aware that my experience would have been ever harder to deal with had I been dark-skinned.

“Our reality is no matter how far you think you've come, racism exists.”

The Talk is available to stream on demand on All4.