John and Edward Grimes hit reality television like a meteor back in 2009, winning over viewers as the double act Jedward on The X Factor.
Finishing in sixth place, they have been one of the show’s biggest success stories, going on to represent Ireland at the Eurovision and releasing four studio albums.
Their rendition of “Under Pressure (Ice Ice Baby)” back in 2010 made it to number one in the Irish singles chart, and ranked at number two in the UK.
Though their music career has quietened down in recent years, now aged 29, the identical twins are TV regulars, with appearances on the likes of Celebrity Big Brother and Celeb Coach Trip to name a few.
They also aren’t afraid to voice their opinions on their shared Twitter page – recently taking aim at Simon Cowell and the music industry.
And, the twins are committed philanthropists, engaging in a number of charitable pursuits from Comic Relief to Children In Need.
While their media career is ultra famous in the UK, little is known about Jedward’s private lives, with the brother’s keeping a relatively low profile day-to-day.
Daily Star has done a deep dive into everything you need to know about the superstar duo, from their close-knit family to their celeb mates.
Rarely-seen brother
(Image: Twitter)
Much like the Hemsworth brothers, John and Edward have another brother who has watched their ascent to TV fame from afar.
With the family growing up in Dublin, they have an older brother named Kevin.
Kevin is a businessman and model, who has established a successful security dog training and breeding company Elite K9 Security in Ireland.
The brothers have occasionally attended celeb events together in the past, with Kevin even styling his hair to match his twin brothers.
Having graduated in law, Kevin is also a keen runner and gym-goer, who previously voiced his plans to run the London marathon with his little brothers.
Family heartache
(Image: Irish Late Late Show / RTÉ One)
In 2019, the Grimes family was struck by tragedy, when their mother Susanna died after a lengthy battle with cancer.
The former secondary school teacher had managed her sons for years after their rise to fame, proving an invaluable support system as they grappled with their newfound status.
The brothers released a statement at the time of their mother’s passing, revealing Susanna had braved the devastating illness for many years.
“Rest In Peace Mammy,” it read.
“You live on through us. We will miss you and your smile. You shaped the character of who we are. Mammy lived with cancer for many years but was always full of life!
“You live on in our memories and will always be alive in our Hearts.”
Shaving their quiffs
(Image: Instagram)
Jedward’s quiff was part of their cache as an act, buzzed quite short at the sides and gelled upwards at the top.
Earlier this year, Jedward paid tribute to their late mother Susanna and shaved their signature quiffs, raising vital funds for the Irish Cancer Society.
In March, they appeared on RTE’s The Late Late Show, filming the haircut as part of the charity’s Daffodil Day appeal.
“We’ve had this hair for over 10 years,” said Edward.
“It’s part of our identity. I don’t think we’d be here today if we didn’t have the hair, but this is the first time we’re going to have our hair like this since the beginning of Jedward.”
Along with a team of celebrity fundraisers, Jedward helped raise €2.5million (£2.1million) for the important cause.
Prime Minister outrage
(Image: PA)
The twin brothers caused controversy in 10 Downing Street when they first appeared on The X Factor, and the Prime Minister unexpectedly knocked their act.
Then-PM Gordon Brown said the singers were “not very good,” and was eventually forced to issue an apology.
During a Q and A session on Key 103 radio, he said: “I don’t think [John & Edward] are very good. [But] there are some really good people on X Factor. It’s really good. And I know it’s competing with Strictly Come Dancing.”
However, the PM later revealed he’d got into trouble after airing his views on the Irish double-act, eventually retracting his statement.
Apologising on This Morning, he said: “I got into a bit of a problem because I said I didn’t think they [John and Edward] were very good at singing – but they are good at other things.”
The lads’ mentor Louis Walsh then bit back, saying: “So Gordon Brown and Simon Cowell both have something in common: neither of them know what the public want.”
Lockdown home
Jedward fans were delighted when they learned the brothers were spending the first lockdown, in March 2020, cooped up with their celeb mate.
Having become firm friends with actress Tara Reid while filming Celebrity Big Brother, the trio decided they would shack up together for a few months.
Later, they appeared on Loose Women to chat about their experience of lockdown, which saw Tara produce movies while the brothers worked on music.
They explained Tara invited them to stay with her in her swish LA pad before the lockdown came into place.
Musing over their friendship, John said: “I feel Big Brother is a place which brought us close and coming out of the house, we’ve got even closer because we had so much life experience together.
“We’ve travelled the world, she came to Ireland.”
Love lives
Jedward’s romantic lives have been kept private for most of their career, but in 2017, Edward appeared on the MTV show Single AF.
The series aimed for celebs to seek help from their fans to find love, with Edward eventually falling for Swedish bombshell Sabina.
Speaking to The Irish Sun after filming wrapped, he said: “I’m not single any more. Sabina is amazing so we will have to see what happens.”
While a selfie of Edward and Sabina was shared to their joint Instagram in June of that year, a picture of the pair hasn’t been posted since.
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It’s not clear whether either of the brothers is currently in a relationship, however, in 2017, John explained they preferred to keep that side of their lives out of the spotlight.
“I’ve had two long-term relationships that were private. That wasn’t part of my career,” he said, during an interview with The Irish Sun.
Edward added: “We meet girls all the time. Our fans have always know who we are. But others know a different type of Jedward on from the different shows.
“I think because on stage we wear sequins people go ‘oh they must be a bit out there’. We never tone ourselves down. We’re not lad lads but we’re comfortable enough to just be on stage and do Prince vibes.”
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
