X Factor all stars Jedward – 5 things you didn’t know about John and Edward Grimes
JEDWARD – John and Edward Grimes – burst onto the scene in 2009 as the unlikely stars of the X Factor and are still in the limelight a decade on.
The twosome are reportedly taking part in Simon Cowell’s revamped version of the long-running ITV show – X Factor: All Stars. Here is what you need to know about them…
Here are 5 facts about Jedward…
Fight for life
The boys were born on October 16 1991 ten minutes apart with John the elder of the two.
But they were three months premature and weighing just 2lb each, the doctors at the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin, Ireland, gave them just a 50 percent chance of survival.
They finished sixth on X Factor and went on to release three albums, the first two going double platinum in their native Ireland.
They went on to represent their motherland in the Eurovision Song Contest and are believed to be worth £6million between them.
But here are some facts you may not know about the cheeky blonde twins.
Not peas in a pod
They first shot to fame on the X Factor and came sixth, despite Simon Cowell calling them annoying.
The boys are only ten minutes apart in age but they are not exactly identical. John is taller than Edward by about one inch and has a scar above his left eyebrow and above his nose.
They always stand in the same order to help people know the difference, with John always on the left and Edward on the right.
All for a good cause
Jedward might be worth millions and constantly in demand, but the twins spend a lot of their time doing charity work and are involved with many different campaigns.
They have been involved with the ISPCC (Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children), ChildLine, Sport Relief, Comic Relief, and Children In Need and in 2011, they became one of the highest rated charity ambassadors in Ireland.
They scaled the four highest mountains in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales for charity.
Celebrity friends
When they went into the Celebrity Big Brother house the first time around in 2011, they struck up an unlikely friendship with Sharknado star Tara Reid. She even got them a cameo in Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!
While they might be a Marmite act, they can boast some high-profile fans including Robbie Williams, Brian May, Kelly Osbourne, Peter Andre and Michael Buble.
Even Liam Gallagher once said of them: “I don’t mind them little f*****s.”
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Unlikely collaborations
Apart from being a big hit among some well-known stars, the tone-deaf twins came very close to collaborating with Shakira.
In an interview with the Mirror in 2009, she said: “The twins are great, good for them. Should I collaborate with them? What do you girls think? Yes? Aaaagh! Ok, go on then, let’s do it! It’ll be funny.”
The following year Lady Gaga told the News of the World: “I love Jedward, I love people who are fun when they are on stage. I would love to perform in Britain with them, I think we should do it at a really big event.”