Leigh-Anne Pinnock, known for her role in the girl group Little Mix, will participate in the second series of Celebrity Traitors, which premieres on Thursday, October 1, at 8pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. She is one of 21 contestants in the new season of the hit BBC show.
Early Life and Rise to Fame
Pinnock was born in High Wycombe and worked as a waitress at Pizza Hut before pursuing a music career, sharing her singing online via MySpace and Facebook. In 2011, she auditioned as a soloist for the eighth series of The X Factor, performing Rihanna's 'Only Girl (In the World)'. After failing the first bootcamp challenge, she was placed in a three-piece group called Orion alongside Jade Thirlwall, which performed Chris Brown's 'Yeah' but was eliminated.
Perrie Edwards and Jesy Nelson also faced elimination after performing in another group, Faux Pas, which sang Destiny's Child's 'Survivor'. The four singers were later called back by the judges and formed a new group called Rhythmix, which progressed to the judges' houses and live shows under mentor Tulisa, later changing their name to Little Mix.
Little Mix became the first girl group to advance beyond week seven of The X Factor live shows, the first to reach the final, and the first and only girl group to win the programme. The group achieved 19 top-ten singles and five number-one entries on the UK Singles Chart, along with six consecutive top-five albums on the UK Albums Chart.
Solo Career and Other Ventures
Pinnock co-wrote two UK number-one singles with Little Mix: 'Wings' (2012) and 'Shout Out to My Ex' (2016). The group won three Brit Awards before announcing a hiatus in December 2021 to allow members to pursue solo projects. Pinnock launched her solo career in 2023 with 'Don't Say Love' and 'My Love' featuring Ayra Starr, both reaching the UK Singles Chart top 30. She won Musician of the Year and Breakthrough Artist at the Glamour Awards in 2023.
In 2021, she made her acting debut in the film Boxing Day and released the documentary Leigh-Anne: Race, Pop & Power, which explored racial issues and colourism in the music industry. The documentary received critical acclaim, earning a nomination for Best Authored Documentary at the 26th National Television Awards, and won Documentary of the Year at the Visionary Honours Awards, Media Progress Moment at the Ethnicity Awards, and Best Documentary at the I Talk Telly Awards.
Personal Life and Celebrity Traitors Cast
Pinnock has been in a relationship with footballer Andre Gray since 2016, and the couple married in Jamaica in 2023. They have twin girls, and in July 2026, Pinnock announced on social media that she is expecting her second pregnancy and their third child.
The full Celebrity Traitors lineup includes Amol Rajan, Bella Ramsey, James Acaster, James Blunt, Jerry Hall, Joanne McNally, Joe Lycett, Julie Hesmondhalgh, King Kenny, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Maya Jama, Michael Sheen, Miranda Hart, Myha'la, Professor Hannah Fry, Richard E. Grant, Rob Beckett, Romesh Ranganathan, Ross Kemp, Sebastian Croft, and Sharon Rooney.
The series will air twice weekly on Thursdays and Fridays at 8pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. The spin-off show The Celebrity Traitors: Uncloaked will also return on BBC One, BBC iPlayer, and BBC Sounds. A new special titled 'Traitor or Faithful? Claudia Decides' will be available on Thursday, October 1, from 9.15pm on BBC iPlayer, revealing how Claudia selects her Traitors and offering a more personal look at the contestants.
