Union J

Josh Cuthbert, JJ Hamblett and Jaymi Hensley entered the 2012 series of X Factor as crooning boy band Triple J and charmed the judges with their rendition of Rihanna's We Found Love, but they were poised to be eliminated at the bootcamp stage. Fortunately for them they were recalled after a withdrawal, teamed up with solo contestant George Shelley and renamed Union J, eventually making it to the semi-finals before losing out to James Arthur. Signing a deal with RCA, the group were quickly billed as the next One Direction and looked every inch the proto-type, butter-wouldn't-melt pop act as they launched their assault on the charts with debut single Carry You. Full of breezy, singalong synth pop and rousing, lung bursting ballads, album Union J (2013) made it to Number 6 and included the Top 10 hit Beautiful Life, before the boys went on to support Selena Gomez on tour. They won Best British Breakthrough at the Radio 1 Teen Awards and performed in front of 80,000 fans at Capital FM's Summertime Ball at Wembley Stadium.

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