Birth name George Paul Shelley

Birthday 27 July 1993

Star sign Leo

Birthplace Clevedon, North Somerset

George Shelley was born to mum Toni and father Dominic in Clevedon, North Somerset. He has a sister named Harriet and brothers called Will and Tom.

George’s parents divorced when he was little and both remarried.

Musical ability runs in George’s family. His grandfather performed with a few different bands throughout his life and a couple of his uncles gigged in pubs and clubs.

George got his first guitar at the age of 13 and taught himself to play.

The curly-haired star was a student at Weston College, where he completed a BTEC Extended Diploma in graphic design. As a teenager, George struggled with his weight and in 2012 revealed that he was bullied.

‘I was 12st and really short. All the other boys loved football and I just wanted to play my guitar,’ he said.

‘I was always the last one picked because no one wanted the fatty who couldn’t run.’

A close friend persuaded George to audition for The X Factor as a solo artist in 2012. He performed a rendition of Britney Spears’ hit Toxic for the judges.

George Shelley failed to make it as a solo artist but was asked to join Josh Cuthbert, JJ Hamblett and Jaymi Hensley’s band Triple J. The boys later changed their name to Union J.

The lads proved popular on the live shows but were eventually eliminated in the semi-final. They bagged a recording contract soon after.

Union J released their self-titled debut album in October 2013 and embarked on an 18-date tour of the UK that December.

Away from the music scene, George Shelley and Union J have appeared in Chloe Moretz’s flick Kick-Ass 2 and launched a line of lookalike dolls in January 2014.