Jess Glynne

Glynne signed with Atlantic Records and released her debut album, I Cry When I Laugh, in 2015. The album topped the UK Albums Chart despite mixed reviews, and included the hit singles "Hold My Hand" and "Don't Be So Hard on Yourself." Her path to music wasn't direct. At 15, she was asked to audition for The X Factor's second season but dropped out after a disagreement with producers. After finishing her A-levels at Fortismere School in 2008, she held jobs at a boutique, a fitness centre, and a hairdresser's, then travelled the world. In her late teens, she worked for a music management company, where she networked with songwriters and producers, honing her craft for four years.

Glynne has faced her share of controversy. In June 2019, she received a lifetime ban from the Isle of Wight Festival for cancelling her set with just 10 minutes' notice. She later admitted she had gone out to celebrate the end of the Spice World tour. That same month, she cancelled several gigs, including a headline slot at Rochester Castle Concerts, "on the advice of her vocal surgeon." The festival ban was lifted less than a year later. At 36, she is British and a musician, with red hair and blue eyes. She stands 5'8" tall, weighs 117 lbs, and has an athletic build. She is openly lesbian.