Born into a working-class family in Romford, England, Jonjo Shelvey faced significant challenges from an early age. As a child, he suffered a traumatic accident, falling down the stairs, which resulted in a skull fracture. This incident triggered Alopecia Totalis, a condition that led to permanent hair loss. Far from allowing it to define him, Shelvey embraced his baldness, using it as a symbol of his determination to rise above adversity.
An Alopecia Warrior’s Journey: Jonjo Shelvey’s Early Years and Football Rise
Preamble:
Jonjo Shelvey’s early years were marked by neglect, with Shelvey often left unattended, but he found purpose and escape in football. Motivated by the struggles of his older brother, who fell short in his own football dreams due to a troubled life, Jonjo saw the sport as a way out and began his youth career at Arsenal in 2001/2002. His journey wasn’t always smooth—Shelvey even abandoned treatments for his hair loss due to discomfort, accepting the permanent change in his appearance. Despite these hardships, he remained focused on his ambitions, ultimately becoming a professional footballer known for his vision and passing ability.
Off the pitch, Shelvey’s personal life is anchored by his wife, British singer Daisy Evans, who has stood by him through thick and thin. Together, they share a family, and Daisy, who is three years older than Jonjo, brings her own share of public life as a former member of the girl group S Club Juniors.
Jonjo Shelvey’s life story is more than just football—it’s a testament to perseverance, overcoming personal challenges, and the pursuit of success both on and off the field. From his humble beginnings in Romford to the Premier League spotlight, Shelvey has proven that true strength comes from within, beyond appearances and challenges.
Early Life and Family Background:
For Biography starters, Jonjo Shelvey was born on the 27th day of February 1992 in Romford, United Kingdom.
He was born to his mother, Donna Shelvey and father, Ricky Shelvey. Jonjo has some roots in Scotland.
He grew up in a council flat in Harold Hill which was rough, and it still is now. Back then, his parents lived in a little council flat next to the roadside shops, and there was always trouble, people getting stabbed.
As Jonjo puts it,…
“One Christmas, I was in the pub with my dad, and I looked across, and there was a bullet hole in the television. I said: ‘Can we go, Dad? Please, I want to leave this neighbourhood.’
Jonjo Shelvey Family Life:
To start with, Jonjo once came from a middle-class family background. A home operated by his dad, Ricky, before the football investment of his son paid off.
My dad, pictured below, still lives in the same troubled neighbourhood in which he raised his two sons and a daughter.
Meet Jonjo Shelvey’s Dad.
About Jonjo Shelvey’s Mother and Sister:
Jonjo’s mum and my sister live in Brentwood. Unlike her husband Ricky, and with the help of their footballing son (Jonjo), Donny took her daughter off Harold Hill after observing she had an unwanted pregnancy.
As Jonjo Shelvey puts it, “My sister was pregnant, and I didn’t want her baby growing up in the same area I grew up, so I bought her and my mum a house elsewhere.” Below is a photo of Donna Shelvey with her grandchild.
It is pertinent to note that Jonjo Shelvey has a Scottish grandmother.
About Jonjo Shelvey Brother:
Jonjo has an older brother named George Shelvey, whose football career was ruined by drinking and partying.
Jonjo Shelvey learned from the mistakes of his big brother George, who was a one-time talented older brother. He made sacrifices to help his football career.
“George used to be better than me, but he went down the path of girls, nightclubs and drink,”
Shelvey says. “It would have been easy for me to take that route, but I always had the desire to be dedicated.
My mates would be out, and I was sitting indoors watching DVDs of Steven Gerrard. I knew if I kept my head down that I had the ability to make something of my life which eventually came to pass”.
Origin of Jonjo Shelvey’s Baldness:
Another point to note in Shelvey’s childhood life is the actual cause of his baldness and how it came about. The truth is, Shelvey’s baldness didn’t come naturally. It came as a result of an accident a few months after his birth.
Shelvey was left unattended as a kid, which led him to crawl towards the staircase and fall down. This resulted in a childhood trauma and skull fracture, which caused alopecia and hair loss.
Upon treatment, Doctors prescribed a cream for his parents to apply on his head. His parents were advised to have him wear a woolly hat to bed for a month in an effort to help with his hair loss.
Unfortunately, time passed, and treatment wasn’t continued. His parents allowed little Shelvey to abandon his treatment because of the discomfort it caused him. This, by implication, resulted in permanent baldness.
The origin of Jonjo Shelvey’s Baldness – Explained.
In Jonjo’s words…
“I fell down the stairs as a baby and fractured my skull. I believe that incident made things worse and was always stressed as a kid, and since stress affects alopecia, it never had a chance to heal naturally.
On many occasions, I tried things [to cure it] when I was younger. But none worked for me. I tried this ointment that you used to rub into your head, and I had to sleep in a woolly hat for three months.
Again, I got to about the fourth day, and it was just roasting. I took the hat off and thought: ‘If you don’t like my Baldness, then don’t talk to me.’
The Fear:
“When I was with Arsenal as a nine-year-old, I used to wear a baseball cap to training because I was so self-conscious about what people thought of me as I was growing up. I remember when I walked through Romford with my sister, and people would stare at my bald head. My sister would get upset and ask them what they were looking at.
Now, I’ve reached a point where I don’t even bother shaving it some days. This is just who I am, I suppose.“
Shelvey, ever since he made it to top-flight football, has constantly supported youngsters who share his condition.
Career Summary:
After seeing his elder brother fall in his career due to his rough life, Jonjo was motivated to start his youth career. He began in 2001/2002 with Arsenal, at a time when Alex Iwobi and Ainsley Maitland-Niles were about to join the club’s academy.
This was the same year Steven Gerrard busted into the scene. Young Jonjo was quick to make him his childhood idol and someone whose style of play he would look up to.
Even as a kid, Shelvey was seen as someone with maturity beyond his years. He made headlines at just 16 years and 59 days old, becoming the youngest-ever player in Charlton Athletic’s history when he burst onto the scene.
The Romford-born playmaker also became the club’s youngest-ever scorer, bagging his first goal 54 days before his 17th birthday. This led to Brendan Rodgers‘ Led Liverpool calling for his services.
As I update Jonjo Shelvey’s Bio, he is now one of the most important midfield figures of Newcastle – alongside notables like Bruno Guimaraes and Sean Longstaff, etc. An upcoming star in this category is Lewis Miley. The rest of his story, as they say, is now history.
Jonjo Shelvey’s Wife, Daisy Evans – The Love Story:
Shelvey’s eagle-eyed football is being complemented by a beautiful and wonderful lady. No other than British singer Daisy Evans, who is three years older than him (born on the 30th of November 1989).
Meet Daisy Evans – Jonjo Shelvey’s Wife.
In June 2015, Shelvey married long-term girlfriend Daisy Evans Daisy, the famous S Club 8 star.
The wedding ceremony between Shelvey and Daisy.
Comedian Jimmy Carr, an English stand-up comedian, presenter, writer, and actor who holds both British and Irish citizenship, performed at his wedding event. Surely, he didn’t disappoint.
It is pertinent to note that the couple had a daughter (pictured below) who was born a year before their marriage.
Jonjo Shelvey Bio – Post Mariage Hire:
After his marriage, The midfield playmaker raised eyebrows when he posted an online advert looking for a personal chef to look after him, his wife and his daughter, offering a bumper £65,000 annual salary. Below is a photo of the advert.
He stated that his family responsibilities and a new diet would improve his professional behaviour.
However, the successful applicant will certainly have to earn their salary, cook for Shelvey, his wife Daisy, and young daughter Lola Fluer, and be flexible around the Swans fixture schedule.
The advert reads: “Working on a rota basis over seven days, you must also have a large repertoire of different cuisines.
As a private chef, you will also need experience and knowledge of sports nutrition, healthy, high-performance meals, sports nutrition and well-balanced meals to provide a varied diet.
You must also have some previous private chef experience. The successful applicant will have had to work for their money, though, with applicants expected to be on duty Monday to Sunday and be flexible with Jonjo’s fixture schedule with Swansea.”
Shelvey justified the reasons for hiring a chef to assist the Premier League star and his family.
In his words…‘I’ve been working with a personal trainer all summer to get myself fit for the season,” said the former Swansea midfielder. “I’ve always carried away and had a bit of extra weight compared to other players, but I’ve been working hard on that. I even have a chef staying with my family to cook for us, so I’m making sure all the bases are covered.’
Sir Alex Ferguson thinks he has balls:
Shelvey famously mouthed off at former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson after being given his marching orders in a game between Liverpool and the Red Devils.
At the time, he accused the retired United boss of ‘grassing’ him up. Rejecting Shelvey’s apology, the most successful British manager of all time said: “No, I like it. It shows you’ve got a bit of ball about you.”
Personality Facts:
Jonjo’s Strengths: He is compassionate, artistic, intuitive, gentle, wise and musical.
Jonjo’s Weaknesses: He could be fearful, overly trusting, and sad, and he has the desire to escape reality.
What Jonjo likes: He loves being alone, sleeping, music, romance, visual media, swimming, and spiritual themes.
What Jonjo dislikes: Know-it-all, being criticized, the past coming back to haunt him, and cruelty of any kind.
