Little Mix's Perrie Edwards diagnosed with life-changing condition as a child and underwent surgery

Little Mix's Perrie Edwards has opened up about the dangers of living without a sense of smell – a condition that once put her life at risk. The pop star only discovered she had the condition following a terrifying incident when a fire broke out in her family home's kitchen in South Shields and she was oblivious to the danger due to her inability to detect the scent of burning.

Perrie, who is set to celebrate her 31st birthday next week, said: "I couldn't smell it. Our kitchen had set on fire. I saw the black smoke come under the door. And then I started coughing because it takes your breath away." The alarming event prompted her mother to seek medical advice, reports the Mirror.

This led to a diagnosis of congenital anosmia which is when someone is born without the ability to smell. The condition affects around one in 10,000 people. Describing her treatment Perrie said: "I had surgery, came out, had big tampons in my nose, recovered for a while. And then I swear to God I could smell coffee. I woke up and smelled the coffee."

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But the newfound sense was short-lived and soon faded. Despite being advised by doctors to undergo the procedure again Perrie chose not to, explaining: "I was like: 'I'm not going through that again. I don't care. If I had it and lost it fair enough. But I've never had it so why care?'".

The Little Mix star shared this story on The Dish From Waitrose podcast where she said that despite not having a sense of smell her love for food remains undiminished. She added: "I'll be like: 'I'm eating healthy, nobody talk to me.' And then I'm like: 'Five Guys, what's going on?' I literally, I'm a foodie and I do try to eat healthy."

The singer also ventured into a Come Dine With Me-inspired YouTube series titled Eat In With Little Mix collaborating with fellow band members Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Jade Thirlwall, Perrie Edwards, and Jesy Nelson. Little Mix who catapulted to stardom after their 2011 victory on The X Factor have enjoyed a string of hits including Black Magic and Shout Out to My Ex. For the latest TV and showbiz news sign up to our newsletter.

In 2021 the group announced a hiatus with Perrie expressing the need to "put their foot down". She described the decision as a "gradual thing", adding: "I don't think it was like an overnight: 'I'm gonna go solo now' because I never knew what I would do in my future."

Reflecting on the band's journey she said: "I just knew that Little Mix had me tired. We love each other and we're so supportive of each other and we just want to see each other win."

She clarified that the break wasn't due to internal conflicts but rather the intensity of their shared experience. "So it wasn't like: 'Do you know what? You're driving me nuts. I need a break.' It was almost like we've done this for so long now. I was 17 when I was put in the band. That's all we ever knew in [our] lives was Little Mix.

"I was just so focused on being a mum as well. Just enjoying him and just doing what I loved and then I started slowly but surely writing music, recording, and then it kind of just happened."

Perrie revealed the girls were initially unsure if they'd made the right decision. They frequently shared their feelings of boredom and uncertainty in their WhatsApp group. "We were like: 'I'm bored. What are you up to today?' And Leigh-Anne'd be like: 'I'm actually sick of this.' And Jade's like: 'Yeah, why did we push for this again?'"

Nevertheless, they concluded that they had to see it through and it didn't take long for each of them to find new exciting projects. For the past year and a half Perrie has been diligently working on her debut solo album, which is set for a release later this year. Her debut solo single, Forget About Us, was released in April followed by her second single, Tears, in June.