Union J: The Unauthorised Biography - Rebecca Grey

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was in turmoil. Gary, Tulisa and Louis – the only judge to remain in the series since it started – had all returned to the show, but Kelly Rowland had decided not to. The papers were full of speculation as to who might be replacing her – with names like Frankie from The Saturdays, Alesha Dixon and even Katy Perry being mentioned. But no one as yet had been signed as the new permanent fourth judge and instead a raft of ‘guest judges’ was lined up to appear. There was a chance that one of those judges could end up being a permanent fixture.

      So, it was in front of Gary, Tulisa, Louis and pop star Rita Ora that a nervous line-up of three singers appeared on that fateful day. Wearing matching outfits of tan trousers, white T-shirts and trainers, and with their X Factor contestant stickers plastered over them, Triple J stepped out to immediate cheers and whistles from the audience at the O2 Arena. ‘Hello London!’ shouted Josh, whose hair was styled in a flat side-parting. ‘We’re Triple J!’ ‘And who’s with you today?’ asked Louis. ‘All our mums are backstage,’ indicated Jaymi, who wore a buttoned-up denim shirt over his T-shirt. ‘They’re more nervous than us, I think,’ joked Josh, to a ripple of laughter. ‘Off you go,’ said Louis. Triple J’s big moment had arrived.

      The boys launched into a rendition of Rihanna’s ‘We Found Love’. With their tight harmonies, well-practised vocals and confident stage presence, they were an immediate hit. With Josh taking the lead vocals, standing in the centre, and Jaymi and Josh providing perfect back-up, they were cool, relaxed and impressive. The judges raised their eyebrows in surprise, and Gary sat with a stunned smile on his face. Rita Ora bobbed her head along in time with the music. After watching a succession of disappointing acts over-promising and under-delivering, with the weird and wacky in there too, the judges looked delighted to be finally in front of an act displaying real musical talent.

      Josh visibly breathed out in relief as the boys finished their song. They’d given it their all and, going by the rapturous reception from the audience, it had gone down well. But what would the judges think? Tulisa was impressed, pronouncing Triple J as the sort of boyband she liked – and that they were handsome boys, too. Josh pumped his fist in a ‘Yeah!’ Pop star Rita agreed, reckoning they’d be popular with a female fan base. With his years of success in Take That, first as a 1990s manufactured pop group and then with their resurgence in the last few years, older, wiser and with more hits than ever, Gary was the don of boybands. He shared his wisdom with Triple J, that they couldn’t just look the part, they had to have strong vocals too, and that they’d succeeded on that front. They couldn’t believe it and clasped each other’s shoulders as an emotional Jaymi wiped away a tear. It was four yeses from all the judges – a full house. Triple J pumped their fists with joy and ran off the stage, leaping about. Shouting and yelling their good news, they rushed backstage, where their families were waiting anxiously alongside presenter Dermot O’Leary. Giving them all bear hugs, they shared the good news – they were through to Bootcamp.

      Unlike Triple J, George Shelley didn’t have the support of bandmates to boost him up as he walked onto the stage for his huge moment. The sweet 18-year-old looked terrified as he faced the biggest audience he’d ever performed in front of. Wearing a denim hoodie and beige trousers, and carrying his beloved guitar, he not only looked similarly dressed to Triple J, but his gorgeous looks also won the immediate attention and cheers of the audience. Tulisa quizzed the young singer about what he was up to in his life and George explained that he had a job in a coffee shop. Her next question was the crucial one: what was he going to sing to try to impress the judges. His answer wasn’t what anyone was expecting – it was ‘Toxic’ by Britney Spears.It was an unusual choice – here was a teenage boy with an acoustic guitar, about to sing an electro-pop tune by a female superstar. Tulisa’s surprise was written all over her face as she urged him to start. It was clear she wasn’t quite expecting what was about to happen.

      George went for it. Turning ‘Toxic’ into a quirky, up-tempo folky number, he was clearly a talented act. His voice was strong and confident as he won over the audience and played guitar expertly – all those hours of practice in his bedroom had paid off. Louis Walsh grinned through the performance, and the audience erupted in cheers as he finished. George gave a nervous half-smile as he awaited the verdict. The crowd loved it, and he could only pray the judges did, too. Louis was first in with the praise, highlighting George’s terrific voice and cute face. Gary was in with a yes, too, which Tulisa added to with another positive comment – he had definitely won the judges over. An overwhelmed George put his hands over his eyes as he grinned disbelievingly. It was straight offstage and back to his mum Toni, waiting patiently behind the scenes, for a big hug. He hadn’t told his family about his audition for the show at the beginning, being too shy to confess what he was doing. But since then he’d told his mum and family everything, and now they were there for his life-changing moment. This summer would be different from all the others so far – he was off to Bootcamp.

      Olympic fever was about to hit the UK in that summer of 2012, and so for the first time ever Bootcamp would be held outside London, which was hosting the Games. Instead, The X Factor was heading for Liverpool for the serious business of auditioning the acts even further. Solo star and ex-Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger had been confirmed as the permanent replacement for Kelly Rowland, and all four judges were determined that this year they would find the ‘next big international superstar’. The atmosphere was charged with tension and expectation. This would be an intense three days, where the 211 acts who’d got through to Bootcamp would be whittled down to just 25, who would then be going to Judges’ Houses. It was tough. Sixty acts didn’t even get the chance to sing again, being sent home from Bootcamp right at the start, their dreams destroyed without a second chance. There was no room for mistakes, or to let nerves take over. Every act there had to be at the top of their game.

      In this hothouse environment, there was plenty of rivalry going on behind the scenes – everyone there knew that the person next to them might knock them out of the competition. But there were also friendships being forged, too – and one of them was between Triple J and George Shelley, who had met there for the first time. The three members of Triple J spotted the 18-year-old with the guitar and walked over to introduce themselves and to ask George to sing for them. ‘We bonded really, really strongly with George,’ Jaymi told This Morning many months later. For his own part, George hit it off big time with the friendly guys from Triple J and began wishing that he could become part of a band himself. ‘I came into X Factor hoping to be put into a group scenario,’ he said. ‘Especially after my first audition, I felt like I needed something around me.’

      George’s hopes were raised when at Bootcamp he was put in a mixed band alongside fellow contestants Charlie Cammish and Meg O’Neill for the next stage of auditions. But despite a strong rendition of Labrinth’s ‘Earthquake’, it didn’t work out and George was sent home. It was a crushing disappointment – but at least he could take comfort from the fact that he’d got through so far on his first attempt. And he’d made some great friends, leaving Liverpool with Triple J’s numbers keyed into his mobile phone. Still, for George, it was back to his ordinary life, back to working as a barista in Costa Coffee and looking forward to the next uni term starting in September. He couldn’t help but imagine, however, what might have happened if he’d made it through.

      Meanwhile, Triple J endured their own marathon to make it through to Judges’ Houses. They came on stage to perform their first song in front of the full panel of Nicole, Tulisa, Gary and Louis – and, of course, a huge cheering audience of thousands in Liverpool’s Echo Arena. Looking full of excitement and anticipation, and almost like a real pop group, JJ, Jaymi and Josh greeted Nicole. The upfront star wanted to know why these three boys thought they deserved to win. Already showing the leadership qualities that would see him become the ‘dad’ of Union J in the months to come, Jaymi spoke up, promising that Triple J weren’t like other boybands currently on the scene – they were unique. With fighting talk like that, the boys would have to impress.

      They launched into a surprising song – a rendition of Guns N’ Roses’ ‘Sweet Child o’ Mine’. Usually a full-on rock track not known for its melodious vocals, the Triple J boys turned it into a tightly harmonised number, walking around the stage and showcasing the confidence they had with each other. For the first time, Jaymi’s vocals came

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