George Shelley's mother initially struggled to cope with his sexuality.

George Shelley

George Shelley

The 25-year-old singer told his family he was gay in 2016 and though his mum is "proud" of him now, her first reaction was to worry about what other people would think.

Speaking to Sir Ian McKellen for Gay Times magazine, he said: "How do I touch on this? I guess my mum... It's a difficult subject still. She's proud of me now.

"But the first thing she said to me was, 'What am I going to tell my friends?' It was a lack of understanding.

"Once she realised that there's this whole world out there, all of a sudden she was like, 'Oh I think it's pretty cool to have a gay son.' I was like, 'See mum. This is what I mean. Come to London for a year and spend a bit of time seeing the world.' "

The former Union J singer has called for better education of the "real world" so young people can accept themselves for who they are.

He said: "That's what we need to do: educate kids of what the real world is like, and how much beauty there is in understanding who you are and how you can carve your future."

George admitted he was warned being open about his sexuality could "jeopardise" his career because of Union J's young female fanbase.

He said: "People knew, and then I started going out, Jaymi [Hensley] would take me to these clubs, and people would see me with these guys.

"I'd be kissing these guys on nights out like any other 20 year old would do when you're experimenting, and that's absolutely OK.

"But because of the situation I was in - in the public eye selling records aimed at young girls - I feel like I was made to believe, and made to think, because of the things I was being told and the way I was conditioned, that it would've jeopardised the band's career. And in turn jeopardise my own career."

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