Former Union J star George Shelley has revealed he was forced to work shifts at Chi Chi’s coffee shop in Enfield after he rinsed all his cash and ‘gave up on music’.
The X Factor star, 32, appeared on I’m A Celebrity in 2015 after finding fame in the boyband alongside JJ Hamblett, George Shelley, Josh Cuthbert and Jaymi Hensley.
George quit the group in 2016 after they were founded as a four-piece on the talent show in 2011.
The singer has also suffered a turbulent decade grieving his sister Harriet, who tragically died at the age of just 21 in 2017 after she was hit by a car and suffered serious head injuries.
After a tough few years grafting to overcome financial woes, George is now in a new band called Lightlines with bandmates Alex Pothecary and Will Jackson, after finally getting his musical spark back.
He told The Sun: ‘Last year I was just grafting a lot, doing a lot of social media for other people, video editing and coffee shop work.
Former Union J star George Shelley, 32, has revealed he was forced to work shifts in a coffee shop after he rinsed all his cash and ‘gave up on music’
The X Factor star appeared on I’m A Celebrity in 2015 after finding fame in the boyband alongside JJ Hamblett, George Shelley, Josh Cuthbert and Jaymi Hensley
‘I did four shifts there. But during those, Alex was my boss and I did smash a lot because I’m quite high energy. I’m always knocking things over and slipping over. ‘I’d given up on music.’
Speaking about the loss of his sister almost 10 years after she tragically passed, he said: ‘When my sister passed away, dealing with the grief on top of the rejection of the industry, it was a lot.
‘My coping mechanisms were toxic for a long time and I was just in the wrong environments.’
In 2018 George admitted he came close to suicide after losing his sister, revealing he became agoraphobic and was put on anti-depressants in the aftermath of her death.
Speaking about the stigma of mental illness and bereavement, George was asked if he had ever considered suicide, to which he replied: ‘I mean, I was in a… I don’t want to say the words because I don’t even want to think that myself, but I wasn’t well and that’s the honest truth of it.
‘I was seeing a therapist. He recommended anti-depressants three times, by the third time he said, “this is it, come on, George,” and I was afraid of what people would think of me.
‘By the third time I accepted it. Understanding what you’re going through and knowing these things are there to help you for the time-being.
‘The medication and support with medical professionals helps you, it clears the path for you.
George quit the group in 2016 after they were founded as a four-piece on the talent show in 2011 (Union J in 2014, JJ Hamblett, George, Josh Cuthbert and Jaymi Hensley L-R)
The singer has also suffered a turbulent decade grieving his sister Harriet, who tragically died at the age of just 21 in 2017 after she was hit by a car and suffered serious head injuries
After a tough few years grafting to overcome financial woes, George is now in new band called Lightlines after finally getting his musical spark back (pictured December 2024)
‘It’s helped me learn how to talk about it, I go to a siblings retreat where siblings who’ve lost their brothers and sisters meet up.’
George also spoke about how he became agoraphobic towards the end of last year as it drew nearer to Harriet’s birthday, which was on Christmas Day.
Agoraphobia is a type of anxiety disorder in which you fear and avoid places or situations that might cause you to panic and make you feel trapped, helpless or embarrassed.
He said: ‘Towards the end of last year I was in a really rubbish place I needed to get out of that.
‘My sister’s birthday was Christmas day, so getting past that as a family was really testing.
