Little Mix stars party in South Shields after gig at Gateshead Stadium

South Shields natives Perrie Edwards and Jade Thirlwall brought band mates Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Jesy Nelson to party in their home town - along with a host of their celebrity friends.

The pair chose new venue House of Diamonds in South Shields town centre to celebrate their Summer Hits Tour milestone on Thursday, July 26, following their gig at Gateshead Stadium.

And club owner Kerrie Katopodis couldn’t be prouder that the band decided to return to their roots and choose the venue for their night out.

Kerrie, 45, from Harton, said: “I own Club del Mar as well and we hosted Jade’s 21st birthday there around four or five years ago.

“It was top secret at the time - it wasn’t until afterwards that people found out.

“So I was asked to host a party at House of Diamonds because the summer tour was coming to an end.

“We closed the club to the public and the girls, the dancers, the crew and friends - such as Joe McElderry and Rak-Su - came along.

“It was lush and everybody had the best night ever.”

Kerrie told her staff to keep the event low-profile and instructed them not to take any photos or post anything on social media.

She arranged for the tour bus to be able to park outside of the venue to drop the group off straight from the gig.

Kerrie said both Jade and Perrie’s family and friends came along to the venue to join in the celebration - with the band partying from 11pm until 4am before heading to their next gig in Falkirk.
Club del Mar DJ Lewis White played a mix of RnB and hip hop tracks to the crowd of around 70 people on the night.

Related content: Watch video of Little Miz birthday girl Jade Thirlwall at South Shields Boxing Day dipKerrie added: “I think it is so hard for businesses in South Shields to survive, so for me to be able to transition what was Glitterball into a beautiful club with beautiful guests, was the icing on the cake.

“I feel really proud of the venue and was delighted that Little Mix took the time to support a local business.

“They were all gobsmacked about how amazing the club looked and Perrie said it was like one of the clubs you get in London.”

Rak-Su, who won the 2017 series of The X Factor and supported Little Mix on the tour, also showed their love for the Chloe and Liam Together Forever Trust by wearing their wrist bands.

They join other famous faces, including Ed Sheeran, Rafa Benitez and Joe McElderry, who have backed the charity by wearing the pink and blue bands.