The girls performed as a trio (Picture: Backgrid)

Little Mix took to the stage in Manchester on Sunday but fans were left concerned as Jade Thirlwall was missing from the performance.

Jade, 25, was missing from the performance which took part at the Manchester Arena for the Hits Radio Live concert, featuring a star-studded line up including Cheryl and Ellie Goulding.

Metro.co.uk understands that Jade was with family as they sadly suffered a bereavement.

‘Unfortunately we haven’t got our little Jade with us tonight,’ the girls told the crowd, before asking them to ‘give it up’ for the singer, leading the crowd in a big cheer.

Metro.co.uk has contacted reps for Jade for comment.

Her decision to not take to the stage comes weeks after she broke down during a live performance of romantic anthem Only You at an intimate concert for fans.

The girls performed at Manchester Arena for the Hits Radio Live concert (Picture: Backgrid)

The singer was choked during her solo before the crowd jumped in to sing the emotional lyrics back to her.

Bandmates Perrie Edwards, Jesy Nelson and Leigh-Anne Pinnock tried to comfort the singer as soon as the song finished at the East London concert, and managed to put a smile back on her face.

‘Let’s give it up for Jade,’ said the girls (Picture: Backgrid)

The petite songstress then requested a hot lemon water and some ’tissues for her issues’.

Little Mix have recently found themselves caught up in a bizarre feud with Piers Morgan after he claimed they were using sex to sell their new album, LM5.

The girls have not revealed why Jade was not on stage (Picture: Backgrid)

Piers hit out at their latest artwork for Strip, which saw them pose completely naked and covered in slurs.

He previously accused the Move singers for ‘using their sexual image to sell albums’ and claimed they had taken the idea for the shoot from The Dixie Chicks.

Jade Thirlwall you deserve all the love in the world pic.twitter.com/UtH0H5Cfmr — ℱ??? (@lovelypez) November 13, 2018

But in response, Jesy branded him a ‘twat’ – and he then he hit back and branded her ‘grim and cheap’ over her latest Instagram post.

Jade has not yet waded in to the argument although she recently admitted that speculation that she was pregnant with her first child left her ‘upset’.

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Jade said: ‘We were going into the studio one day and we did look a bit rough. Jade was inspired by rumours.

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‘And lo and behold, there was an online article the next morning, with comments like, “Is Jade pregnant? Look how fat she is,” and, “Don’t they look ugly?” We got really upset. But then we thought, you know what? Fuck it.

‘Let’s do a song about it.’

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