Jedward

Career

John and Edward formed a duo in 2008 and auditioned for the sixth series of The X Factor in Glasgow under the name John & Edward. Their performances were noted for being unpolished yet enthusiastic, including a rendition of Britney Spears' 'Oops!... I Did It Again' that featured a reenactment of the Titanic monologue. After leaving the show, they signed with Modest! Management, but Louis Walsh later reached an amicable agreement to manage them.

In early 2010, they performed on the X Factor Live tour, where they were credited with boosting ticket demand and extending the tour. Their debut single 'Under Pressure (Ice Ice Baby)', a mashup featuring Vanilla Ice, was released in March 2010. Shortly after, their Sony contract ended, and Universal Music Ireland signed them to a three-album deal. In April 2010, they embarked on their first solo tour, the Planet Jedward Tour, which began with 27 dates in Ireland and expanded to a second leg of 43 dates in the UK and Ireland.

The Irish Independent compared the resulting 'Jedwardmania' to Beatlemania. Their second single, a cover of Blink-182's 'All the Small Things', peaked at number 21 on the Irish charts and number 6 on the UK Indie Chart. Their debut album Planet Jedward, composed of cover versions, reached number one on the Irish Albums Chart and number 17 on the UK Albums Chart. In August 2010, they appeared in the ITV2 documentary series Jedward: Let Loose.

Philanthropy

In 2011, Jedward were among Ireland's top-rated charity ambassadors. They represent the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC), leading a poster campaign for the group. Money from their 2012 Euro single "Put the Green Cape On" went to the ISPCC.

Between 2010 and 2013, they appeared every year at the ChildLine Concert, which supports the ISPCC’s ChildLine service. In Ireland, they also took part in the ISPCA’s My Dog Ate It campaign and promoted Concern Worldwide’s Fast fundraiser. Across the UK, they joined Comic Relief, Sport Relief, and Children in Need, and made hospital visits to see sick children.

Other ventures

In 2009, Tourism Ireland ran a radio campaign playfully apologising to the UK for Jedward's behaviour on The X Factor. The next year, the twins advertised the Irish fast food chain Abrakebabra. They later promoted East Midlands Trains, Rowntree's Randoms, Disney Universe, and a Travel Supermarket ad with Omid Djalili, which the UK Advertising Standards Authority banned for being misleading. In 2011, they worked with mobile network 3 Ireland, which released a Jedward-branded phone.

From 2010 to 2013, Jedward performed annual Christmas pantomimes at Dublin's Olympia Theatre alongside Linda Martin. They played themselves in these shows, which featured their songs. Their first was Cinderella (2010) as fairy godbrothers, followed by Jedward and the Beanstalk (2011), Jedward and the Magic Lamp (2012), and their final one, Jedward in Beauty and the Beast (2013).

Impact

During their time on The X Factor, Jedward attracted fans including Pixie Lott and Robbie Williams, and received backing from Taoiseach Brian Cowen, while Leona Lewis expressed concern for them. Two major British political parties, Labour and the Conservatives, each released campaign posters parodying the twins. Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown faced criticism in November 2009 for calling Jedward 'not very good' and later apologised. Louis Walsh remarked that both Brown and Simon Cowell did not know what the public wanted.

Brown's successor, David Cameron, admitted Jedward were his favourite act on The X Factor and bought a T-shirt with their faces. The Irish Independent referred to them as 'tone-deaf twins', though they were voted more popular than The Beatles in a teenage poll. Comedian Oliver Callan parodied them on his RTÉ 2 show Nob Nation. A 2017 court case over merchandise rights later inspired a stage musical starring Kevin McGahern and Tony Cantwell.

Did You Know?

• Jedward briefly worked as games testers for Xbox 360 format holder Microsoft.
• They support football clubs Newcastle United and Celtic.