Up Close and Personal with Stylish Jade Thirlwall

Jade is from South Shields, Tyne and Wear. She was born to a single mother Norma and lived with her brother Karl. At first, she was a student and participated in various singing contests in the area. She is close friends with The X Factor season 6 winner, Joe McElderry, who is also from South Shields. The pair used to duet together.

Jade began singing at an early age and from the age of 3, until she was 15, she attended Steps Dance & Fitness, South Shields, Tyne & Wear, where her dance instructor was Pam Eglintine, who said Jade "was always a good singer and used to work really hard in everything she did. Jade is quite a quiet kind of girl who just gets on with things. As she progressed with the dancing, I knew she was going to be a star because she just has that natural ability... She's got an amazing voice. Even from a young age, she had a strong voice" At the age of 9, Jade joined Performers' Stage School, South Shields, Tyne & Wear. When she was 13, in year 9 at St Wilfrid's Community College, secondary school in South Shields. Jade was asked to sing in the school assembly and joined the choir. Delia McNally, Jade's teacher at St Wilfrid's, recalled, "Jade performed many times at school and sang at our tsunami relief concert in support of World Challenge". Jade remembers, "I did little school plays and musicals" From the age of 16, Jade performed in pubs and clubs. Jade's mother, Norma, said, "Jade would be doing a gig and she'd invite Joe (McElderry, winner of X Factor 2009) to sing with her. They also appeared at festivals and charity gigs together".