George Shelley is a multi-talented English artist known for his work as a songwriter, singer, actor, and radio and TV presenter. He gained recognition as a former member of the boy band ‘Union J’ and was also part of the English band ‘Only the Young.’ Despite not winning ‘The X Factor,’ Shelley’s talent was acknowledged with the ‘BBC Radio 1 Teen’ award for the ‘Best British Breakthrough.’ With a strong musical background in his family, Shelley released his debut EP, ‘Originals,’ in 2016, showcasing his skills as a singer-songwriter. Additionally, he made his acting debut in the popular British sitcom ‘Murder in Successville.’ In a courageous move, Shelley publicly shared his truth about being gay in a heartfelt video posted on ‘Instagram’ in February 2016.
Quick Facts
- Name: George Paul Shelley
- Age: 30 years
- Born in England
- Father: Dominic Shelley
- Mother: Toni Harris
- Siblings: Harriet Shelley, Tom Harris, William Shelley
- Occupation: Musician
- Genre: Pop Rock
- Height: 5’10” (178 cm)
Childhood & Early Life
George Shelley was born George Paul Shelley, on July 27, 1993, in Clevedon, North Somerset, to Toni Harris and Dominic Shelley. George’s mother worked as a nurse in a hospital but quit her job. George has a sister named Harriet and two brothers, Tom and William. His parents got divorced when George was just 3 years old.
He was named after an elderly person her mother took care of when she was a nurse. As a child, George had a keen interest in music, owing to his musical family. As a young boy, he often pretended to play the drums with a saucepan and a wooden spoon. His grandfather, Dave, is a retired policeman and has played with many bands in the past.
George was involved in singing, dancing, acting, and playing instruments since an early age. He finished school from ‘Kings of Wessex Academy’ and completed his graduation from ‘Weston College.’ He studied graphic designing for a while before auditioning for the ninth season of ‘The X Factor.’
Career
Shelley’s band ‘Union J’ was formed in the ninth season of ‘The X Factor’ when the producers offered him a collaboration with ‘Triple J’ and proposed the formation of a new band. The band originally consisted of Josh Cuthbert, JJ Hamblett, and Jaymi Hensley. Following the unplanned entry of George Shelley, ‘Union J’ was formed.
The band ended up at the fourth spot in the singing reality show, but they continued to perform together even after the show. However, George’s passion for acting had taken a backseat during his ‘Union J’ journey. He finally decided to leave his band on March 3, 2016, to try his luck in acting.
George became a popular artist in the UK. In 2015, he was signed by the agency ‘MN2S.’ He was later associated with ‘Coalition Talent’ and was represented by agent Vinesh Patel. He was then managed by Ashley Vallance at ‘Cole Kitchenn.’
George participated in the fifteenth series of the ‘ITV’ show ‘I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!’ and ended up as a runner-up. He lost the title to Vicky Pattison, a media personality. He co-presented ‘The Capital Breakfast Show’ with Lilah Parsons and Dave Berry, after Lisa Snowdon quit the show in February 2016.
In 2016, he made his acting debut after he appeared in the second season of the British sitcom ‘Murder in Successville.’ He played the role of an investigation officer in the fourth episode, ‘Incognito.’ In 2017, he appeared in the fourth episode of the ninth season of ‘Benidorm,’ where he played ‘Giles.’ It is a critically acclaimed and popular sitcom that has won many awards since its release. He also returned to co-present the fourteenth season of the reality show ‘The X Factor,’ along with Stacey Solomon. He was mostly involved in interviewing the participants and their families and relatives.
By 2016, Shelley released his debut EP, ‘Originals.’ The EP consisted of songs such as ‘360,’ ‘Soldier,’ ‘Scars,’ ‘Make It Better,’ ‘Poltergeist,’ and ‘Prove Me Wrong.’ He released a number of music videos along with his EP. The track ‘360’ from ‘Originals’ was released in November 2016.
Personal Life
George Shelley was in the news for his sexuality when he uploaded a video on ‘YouTube’ on February 3, 2016, talking about his sexual preferences. He confirmed in the video that he was sexually attracted to both genders and stated that the sex of his partners did not bother him. In 2017, he confirmed via ‘Instagram’ that he was in a relationship with a male model named Matthew Holehouse. Finally, in 2018, after the release of his debut single, ‘Technicolour,’ he came out as gay in an interview with ‘celebmix.com.’
Following the death of his sister, Harriet, in a car crash, he suffered from mental issues and locked himself up in a room where he turned to music to recover.