Perrie Edwards on toxic first relationship, finds stability with Alex

Perrie Edwards has spoken openly about the lasting impact of her first relationship, saying she once believed toxic behavior was normal before finding stability with her fiancé, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. The Little Mix star, 32, discussed lessons learned from a high-profile romance with ex-fiancé Zayn Malik on a recent episode of the We Need To Talk podcast, describing how the experience shaped her approach to love, dating and self-protection in relationships.

Edwards described her time with Malik as her first real romance, dating during the ascent of both artists’ fame after their X Factor appearances. She recalled that, at the time, what they experienced in their relationship felt normal because it was all she knew; being young and in the public eye intensified the scrutiny that accompanied their engagement in 2013 and the breakup in 2015. “I thought everything we experienced in our relationship was normal,” she said, noting that the dynamic felt “a little bit toxic” in ways she now recognizes as unhealthy. The result, she said, was a reluctance to date again once she became single, sometimes even fearing the pain of meeting someone new.

The conversation shifted to Edwards’...