In 2012, Shelley was part of British band Only the Young, but left the band to audition for the ninth series of The X Factor as a solo artist singing "Toxic" and was eliminated during the bootcamp stage, as were boy band Triple J. However, due to Rough Copy having to withdraw from the show, an extra spot was opened up in Louis Walsh's category for judges' houses. Triple J's manager, Blair Dreelan, was contacted by The X Factor producers with an offer for the group to return, on the basis that Shelley was added to the three-piece. All parties accepted the offer and the band – now a four-piece – became Union J and advanced to judges' houses alongside fellow recalled group Times Red. Union J went on to progress to the live shows and finished fourth, behind Christopher Maloney, Jahméne Douglas and eventual winner James Arthur. On 3 March 2016, Shelley left the band so he could focus on his acting and broadcasting career.
Television and radio
Shelley signed to MN2S agency in 2015, but left for Coalition Talent where he is represented by agent Vinesh Patel for his live work and Ashley Vallance at Cole Kitchenn for management. In 2016, George joined the radio station The CapitalBreakfast Show as a regular presenter alongside broadcaster Lilah Parsons and Dave Berry. In early 2016, George hosted the Brits Red Carpet live show alongside Lilah Parsons, and E!'s Golden Globes coverage alongside Sarah-Jane Crawford. In April 2017, Shelley left The Capital Breakfast Show. In July 2016, Shelley made his acting debut by guest-starring in an episode of the British sitcom series Murder in Successville in series 2, episode 4 as Sidekick. In 2017, Shelley made his second acting appearance in Benidorm. He played Giles in series 9, episode 4.
After Union J and ''Originals''
In 2016, Shelley announced that he would be releasing his debut EP, with a series of music videos to accompany it. The lead single from the EP, titled "360", was released on 20 November 2016. Shelley has also modelled and released a calendar in 2017. In December 2017, Shelley returned to the fourteenth series of The X Factor, where he co-presented alongside Stacey Solomon. He interviewed the friends and families of the finalists at the live finals from the ExCeL London on things such as how they feel about their finalist who is competing in the competition and to send good luck messages to finalists.
Personal life
On 3 February 2016, in response to rumours regarding his sexuality, Shelley uploaded a video to YouTube, in which he stated that he is attracted to both men and women. However, he also stated that he does not want to be labelled as bisexual: "I've had girlfriends that I've loved and they've been amazing periods of my life. But I've also had boyfriends. And I just want you to know that whether I decide to be with a girl next or a guy next, it's because I love them and it shouldn't be a big deal." In July 2018, upon the release of his debut single "Technicolour", the singer came out as gay. In an interview for Celebmix.com, he said: "I was scared for a long time, terrified of coming out. But when I did everyone was just like ‘yeah’."
