Little Mix dropped by Simon Cowell's record label days before releasing new album

'LM5' comes out later this month

(Rex)

Little Mix have been dropped by Simon Cowell’s record label, Syco Music.

The girl group – formed of Jesy Nelson, Jade Thirlwall, Perrie Edwards and Leigh-Anne Pinnock – first came to national attention after appearing on Cowell’s singing competition X Factor in 2011.

The split occurred after Little Mix’s management team, Modest, and Syco Music announced they would no longer be working together. However, Cowell remains a supporter of the group, inviting them to play this year's X Factor final.

For their upcoming release, LM5, which comes out later this month, the band will work with the RCA label, which also comes under the Sony banner – like Syco.

A Syco spokeswoman said: “Syco Music will no longer work with Modest Management and therefore any artists signed to that management company.

“We do, of course, wish all artists affected by this decision every future success. Consequently, LM5, the forthcoming Little Mix album A&R’d and released on Syco Music, is to be serviced by RCA at the request of Syco and Simon Cowell.”

Little Mix shot to fame after winning X Factor, and have managed to remain popular ever since. Their latest single ”Woman Like Me” is currently number three in the UK charts.

They initially auditioned as solo artists before being put together to form the now best-selling group by the series’ judges.

They have since enjoyed a successful career with four of their singles, including “Wings,” “Black Magic” and “Shout Out to My Ex,” reaching number one in the UK.