Yahoo News Newspaper apologises to Little Mix following front page identity blunder
The Metro newspaper has apologised to Little Mix singers Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Jade Thirlwall after it got their names mixed up in a front page caption about Pinnock's recent pregnancy announcement.
The paper issued an apology on Twitter after the official Little Mix account had called it out for its error.
“In today’s paper, we wrongly captioned pictures of Little Mix’s Leigh-Anne Pinnock as Jade Thirlwall," Metro tweeted. "We are sorry for the error and are happy to set the record straight.”
They then quote tweeted their own tweet and wrote, “We’re mortified. An apology.”
We're mortified. An apology: https://t.co/lLp8HmMkAV
— Metro Newspaper UK (@MetroUKNews) May 11, 2021
The apology came after Pinnock, 29, criticised the newspaper for the mistake via the band's Twitter account: “Why is it the two women of colour are always mistaken for each other? 10 years in and still this is happening.”
“This is the type of s**t Jade and I have had to deal with for 10 years and this is another reason as to why I was fuelled to make my doc. #DOBETTER Leigh x”
Why is it that the two women of colour are always mistaken for each other? 10 years in and still this is happening. This is the type of shit Jade and I have had to deal with for 10 years and this is another reason as to why I was fuelled to make my doc. #DOBETTER
Leigh x pic.twitter.com/dVu3TGEAyC— Little Mix (@LittleMix) May 11, 2021
The Metro's front page featured the black and white picture of Perrie Edwards and footballer Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain that they used announcing their pregnancy on Monday, with Oxlade-Chamberlain cradling Edwards’ bump. Inset was Pinnock and Gray's pregnancy photo announcement from the previous week.
However, the caption in the top right hand corner of the front page read:
“Shout Out To My Ex-pecting: Perrie with dad-to-be Alex and [inset] Jade with Andre."
On her Instagram story Thirlwall, 28, shared a screenshot of Pinnock’s tweet writing, “here we go again.”
Pinnock’s documentary, Leigh-Anne: Race, Pop and Power which is set to air on 13 May on BBC One at 9pm, and will detail the singer’s own experience of racism as well as her fiancé’s.
Read more: Little Mix's Leigh-Anne Pinnock felt invisible as 'token black girl' in the band
Talking about the documentary, she said: “Conversations surrounding racism and colourism are something I constantly have with my boyfriend and family."
"Systemic racism is complex; through making this documentary I want to learn how I can best lend my voice to the debate so that the young people who look up to me won't have to face what me and my generation have had to."
Watch: Leigh-Anne Pinnock announces pregnancy
