Little Mix have announced they are taking a break after 10 years together.
The band, made up of Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Perrie Edwards and Jade Thirlwall, issued a statement on Thursday confirming the news.
The announcement comes a year after Jesy Nelson quit the band to pursue a solo career.
However, the trio said that the hiatus – which will come after their Confetti tour next spring – would not be permanent, insisting: “Little Mix are here to stay.”
In a thread published on Twitter, they said: “We wanted to let you all know that after the Confetti tour in April/May next year we are going to be taking a break from Little Mix.
“It’s been 10 amazing years, a wonderful non-stop adventure, and we feel the time is right to take a break so we can recharge and work on some other projects. We can’t thank you enough for your love and never-ending support since the beginning. We love you all SO much.
“We are not splitting up - Little Mix are here to stay. We have plans for more music, tours and performances in the future. We’ve made so many incredible memories with you all, and we can’t wait to make so many more.”
They added: “We’re sisters and we’ll always have each other and you, the fans, in our lives. Little Mix is forever.”
Speculation has been rife for months now that Leigh-Anne, Jade and Perrie would be going their separate ways, especially following the release of their Greatest Hits collection Between Us.
Both Leigh-Anne and Perrie also became mothers for the first time this year, with Leigh-Anne welcoming twins, and Perrie giving birth to a son.
Their announcement comes just a week short of 10 years since they won The X Factor in 2011.
The group were put together by judges Tulisa Contostavlos, Gary Barlow, Kelly Rowland and Louis Walsh during the Bootcamp stage of the ITV talent show, after they failed to make it through as solo artists.
Their fellow X Factor alumni One Direction announced a similar hiatus in 2015, but have yet to reunite.
During their career, Little Mix have had five UK number one singles and have released seven top five albums.
Earlier this year, the trio made history as the first girl band in history to be awarded Best British Group at the Brit Awards.
Jesy became the first member to walk away from the band in last December due to mental health struggles.
After her solo career got off to a controversial start earlier this year, she admitted she is no longer on speaking terms with her ex-bandmates.
The band later spoke out about the fall-out with Jesy and the Blackfishing controversy that has surrounded her debut single Boyz.
“We’ve dealt with it in the best way that we know how, and got each other through it,” Jade said last month.
