Jessie J: British singer-songwriter (real name Jessica Cornish) known for hits like Price Tag, Bang Bang and Masterpiece, and the album The Rose.
What this episode covers
Jessie J sits down with Stephen Bartlett for an unusually raw, emotional conversation about her life beyond the stage. She recounts a childhood marked by a heart condition (WPW), a stroke at 17, and later endometriosis and adenomyosis that doctors said would make having children difficult. She describes how sudden fame in 2014-2016 left her feeling trapped, watched and unable to live normally, and how she repeatedly fires managers searching for a team that shares her passion. Much of the episode centers on recent grief: a miscarriage she went through largely alone in LA, and the deaths of mentor Jamal Edwards and her longtime security guard Dave. She closes by describing her next chapter: acting on her instincts, making music she truly loves, developing a one-woman show, and preparing to try for a family.
The guest's own work
Big White Room
Jessie J
“one of the things that you saw was um which inspired big white room yeah was a boy laid next to you”— Jessie J
The Rose (album)
Jessie J
“the rose album the last album i put out was my favorite that i've ever put out”— Jessie J
Think About That
Jessie J
“i wrote this song called think about that which became the first single of the rose album”— Jessie J
Bang Bang
Jessie J
“i was so grateful for the success of masterpiece burning up bang bang in the us but it was nowhere near where i was mentally”— Jessie J
Masterpiece
Jessie J
“i was so grateful for the success of masterpiece burning up bang bang in the us but it was nowhere near where i was”— Jessie J
Nice to Meet You
Jessie J
“i wrote a book when i was what was i when i wrote bloody autobiography at 12... isn't she called nice to meet you it's like my career so far”— Jessie J
Big reveals from this episode
- She was about to release a new album and single but a car accident, throat nerve/tissue damage and going deaf in one ear (Meniere's) derailed it.
- She listened to her finished album a couple of months ago, decided 'this ain't it,' and went back into the studio three days before recording to start again.
- After losing her grandparents in 2016 she told her label to drop her and quit music entirely.
- Writing 'Think About That' for a Make Up For Ever campaign reignited her songwriting and became the first single of The Rose.
- She reveals the cluster of recent grief: a miscarriage, the death of Jamal Edwards, and the death of her security guard Dave.
- After being told her baby's heartbeat was very low, she refused bloodwork and got a second opinion hours later confirming there was no heartbeat.
- The first thing her team asked after the miscarriage was what she wanted to do about the show the next day, which shifted how she processed the loss.
- She discusses a very public past relationship with one of the biggest actors, describing colliding personal traumas and intense media scrutiny.
Worth remembering
- She was in and out of hospital as a child and was once on a drip during rehearsals for Bugsy Malone.
- Her first-ever song, Big White Room, was inspired by a dying boy she watched in a children's ward.
- She manages her heart condition holistically, takes no medication, and went plant-based to manage endometriosis pain.
- At 26 a doctor recommended a hysterectomy; she declined and chose to manage the pain instead.
- She says her status became higher than her money, and she couldn't afford a driver despite being unable to take public transport.
- About 1.2 billion people watched the final of the Chinese singing show she did, and she bit her tongue bloody from stress before singing Whitney.
- She describes her career as a shop that 'sells ladders outside but rose is on the inside,' meaning her public output isn't her true self.
- In Australia she and her security guard Dave bought binoculars and watched for whales, creating a private code word 'wow.'
- She wrote her autobiography and got a book deal at 12 years old.