Jordan Stephens has spoken publicly for the first time about his break-up from Little Mix singer Jade Thirlwall, saying relationships can be "complex and difficult" and hinting that more will come out in time.
Stephens, 34, addressed the split on his podcast Miss Me? with Miquita Oliver. He and Thirlwall, 33, ended their six-year relationship earlier this year.
Stephens said he was uncomfortable even with the concept of their split being public. "I've never been in a high profile relationship really so I think I'm very conflicted," he said, adding that he prides himself on being open and transparent but that he was always "a couple words or sentences away from either making something worse."
He said he intends to speak more fully once the situation has settled. "I'm definitely going to talk and write I think once things have settled a little bit," he said. "Obviously I'm not going to avoid something that's quite obvious."
Stephens stressed that the emotional weight of a break-up is no different for people in the public eye. "Like how complex and difficult relationships can be, there's no difference, you don't get any exemptions," he said. "Grief does not or anything like that or any powerful emotion doesn't discriminate."
He said his priority was to protect those involved. "My main point is I want to protect people. I don't want to quite get into it," he added, thanking fans for their kind messages and saying he had still not fully processed the split.
Since news of the split emerged, Stephens has been on a solo trip, sharing photographs from the getaway on Instagram. He has also removed all images of Thirlwall from his account, and she has done the same on hers.
Thirlwall appeared to hint at the relationship ending in a recent interview, saying she was "going through something privately" and channelling her experiences into her upcoming second album. She told The Fader she was in an experimental phase of writing and encouraged people to check back with her in a few months.
According to The Sun, the pair remain close and friends are hoping for a reconciliation. An insider told the publication that the split had not been easy but that both had been throwing themselves into work, and that friends adore them as a couple and are hoping they get back together.
