Union J - The Story. Tina Campanella
him his first guitar. Almost immediately, he had mastered the instrument and at just 14, took to the stage at the Priddy Folk Festival, in a village near to his family’s home.
His mum Toni, who has also taught aerobics, told his college website: ‘George sang as soon as he could talk and is able to harmonise perfectly. He’s never had a guitar lesson in his life but he’s got a natural ability.’
And speaking to the Weston-Super-Mare People, she said: ‘We have a musical family and his granddad Dave was a real rock and roller.
‘George, even as a young boy, always wanted to join in and used to pretend he was playing on the drums, using a saucepan and a wooden spoon. We also used to make instruments by filling up washing up bottles with rice. He has always loved singing, dancing and playing instruments and enjoyed drama and being in plays.’
She added: ‘He has always been the sort of person who could pick up an instrument and play it – a talent he got from his granddad.’
While at school, George wasn’t sure if he could make it as a full-time musician. He was wise enough to know that it was difficult to make a living out of music when there are so many wannabe stars out there to compete with. So although he kept his musical dreams alive, he sensibly worked hard on his schoolwork, too. As well as music, he had always had a passion for art. He decided that he would study graphic design, so he could become a designer and travel abroad.
At Weston College he was considered an outstanding student and won distinctions in all his subjects, completing an Extended BTEC in Graphic Design. As part of the course, he got to travel to New York. He loved it so much out there that he ended up wondering if a career in graphic design in America was what he really wanted to do. He applied to study at a higher level and ended up winning a place on a foundation course at the prestigious Bath University.
Concerned as to whether he could live up to the musical standard set by so many members of his family, he kept his bid for stardom quiet while growing up. But his musical past kept nagging away at him and he could never dismiss the lingering desire to sing on stage. He confided in his friend Emily Tollner, who suggested that he should audition for X Factor.
Having made it through to the later stages of the auditions, George felt he had no choice but to consider taking a year out between school and college to see how far he could get. If this was his one chance, then he would give it all he had but it hadn’t been easy for him at home in the run-up to entering the competition.
His mum Toni also had to fight her own battle after she suffered a stroke in March 2011. George and the family lived through a terrifying few hours after she was rushed to hospital, where she was initially diagnosed with a severe migraine and sent home. Despite being released, her symptoms continued and the normally fit and active mum knew something wasn’t right.
Toni actually experienced a bleed in her brain, which continued when she was sent home and left her with loss of feeling on her left side. She has also had recent extensive surgery on both wrists for a condition known as carpal tunnel syndrome and has been unable to find work since. She said: ‘It isn’t very easy given my medical history, but I am feeling much better and it’s wonderful to be part of this experience with George.’
With his mum unable to work, George has also needed to make ends meet to help in his goal to achieve fame. So he found a part-time job as a barista at Costa Coffee.
Despite the scares at home and his fears over whether it was the right thing to do, George listened to his friend Emily and went after his goal of achieving singing success. Unlike his bandmates, he turned up at the X Factor auditions on his own and immediately impressed the judges with his good looks, boyish charm and striking voice. With a clear musical talent too, it was not long before he was singled out and added to the lineup of one of the UK’s hottest new young acts.
Both Triple J and George Shelley had made it through to Bootcamp, but they had a long way to go yet. They’d had time to calm down from the initial excitement of their successful audition, and all their friends and family had told them over and over that they were so talented – they really believed they could do it. This was their big chance…
But as they travelled to Liverpool for the intense three days of Bootcamp, their nerves had all started up again. Only 25 acts would go through to the Judges’ Houses and when they arrived at the Echo Arena, the boys could see that it would be an epic competition.
The room was full – with 211 acts, to be exact, and the judges would have to be super-harsh when they made their final cuts. One small slip-up and they would be out.
The tension was unbelievable. Hardly anyone ate or drank anything; they were all so nervous. The waiting room was a cacophony of voices, all singing different songs at the same time.
The boys were all relieved when they survived the shocking first cut, which saw 70 acts eliminated from the competition in a new twist for the X Factor contestants. Those acts weren’t even given the chance to sing again before they were axed. For them, their dreams were over – for that year, anyway. Plenty of people audition for the show year after year, hoping they will have improved enough to finally make it.
The rest of the singers were put into groups and had to take part in a nerve-wracking sing-off.
As the three days passed, the number of acts slowly dwindled. Many went home and had to be comforted by their friends and family.
George Shelley had met Triple J during these exciting days and had instantly liked Josh, JJ and Jaymi. They were all of a similar age, and bonded over their shared nerves. But Triple J were sad when they found out that George didn’t make it through Bootcamp.
He left Liverpool and went home, wishing his new friends in Triple J all the best and trying to figure out how he would ever get used to normal life again. Meanwhile, Triple J were still going strong, but now the judges had a problem. They’d found it really difficult to whittle down the acts, and now they were well and truly stuck: there was one spot left and two bands who desperately wanted to fill it.
Both were talented and good-looking groups of guys and it would be hard to choose between them.
They were GMD3 and Triple J.
The two hopeful bands would have to go head to head in front of the judges and they needed to sing their hearts out for the final spot.
Standing on stage, Triple J looked over at their rivals. They were handsome lads and they could certainly sing – they’d heard them practising so they knew they would be stiff competition.
Gary looked at them all and explained the situation.
‘Okay, guys, the only way of settling this is to battle it out,’ he said. ‘We want to hear you sing again.’
Each band took a minute to decide what they would perform. They all huddled together, whispering secretively. Sipping water, Josh told the other Triple J boys: ‘We’ve just got to not make a mistake.’
It was true, but the boys were so nervous, it would be difficult not to let everything overwhelm them.
‘Triple J, can you go first?’ asked Gary, kindly. Nodding in reply, the boys took a few deep breaths and began.
Their words echoed hauntingly around the stage. Harmonising to ‘Yeah’ by Chris Brown, the GMD3 boys bobbed their heads to the sound of their rivals’ voices. It was clean and in time, and the boys had done themselves proud.
The judges watched intently as they performed with no backing track. Even GMD3 looked nervous, which the Triple J boys took to be