Jessie J says ‘acid reflux’ caused her to struggle during her Baftas performance

Jessie J has taken to Instagram after her performance at the Bafta TV Awards to explain to fans why it looked like she was struggling.

This was the “Price Tag” and “Bang Bang” singer’s first performance on British TV for six years. She fittingly sang her new song “The Award Goes To” for the stars of the small screen.

After her performance she took to her Instagram stories to explain why the performance didn’t go as planned, revealing that she had struggled with acid reflux that evening.

While most viewers didn’t notice anything amiss from her usual powerful vocals, Jessie feared that experienced singers would have noticed that she was struggling.

She said: “People who know how that is (or singers) I’m sure you could see me struggling but I threw the mic stand and pushed through.”

She added: “I love life. It’s never perfect but it is real. Grateful to be back and remember how mad and magical this whole thing is. There is no hiding in these streets.”

Despite a small gulp at the start, the intimate piano performance was mostly sung to the camera before she belted out her raspy vocals for the crowd.

In a statement before the performance, the singer said: “I haven’t sung on British television in years. What a way to come back, it’s an honour.”

Jessie ensured that she was back home by 9 pm to set up for her son’s 2nd birthday the following day.

Last year she revealed that she had been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) after motherhood “exposed” the conditions “a lot more”.

In 2023 Jessie J left her label Republic Records after 17 years together. In an Instagram post, she confirmed that there was no animosity. She said: “I have to just be honest with who I am and what I want from my career now and how I feel – and being signed just doesn't sit with that now.”

Despite her break from music (with her last single before this year released back in 2021), in 2024 she earned over £7m for her beloved hits.

However, she did recently release a new single “No Secrets” on April 25 and is set to perform to a sold-out crowd at Union Chapel on May 20.