Jon Lee - Celebs Go Dating 2025
Category: Press Pack ArticleWhy did you want to join the agency?
I've been single for about six and a half, seven years. I haven’t even been on a date, I’ve been with nobody at all for that long. So it was sort of like a now or never situation. I got offered to come on the show and initially I said no. I was like, “oh no, I'm all right”. And then I spoke to my friend about it and she said, “being really honest, Jon, would you actually organise a date yourself or would you just stay where you are?” I said, “I'll probably just stay where I am”, and she went, “Exactly. You need to go on this show and actually like just get back out there.”
What you looking for?
I need something special because I'm actually really content being single. I love being single. I'm not really an all encompassing person. I don't want a relationship where we're sort of like Velcro together. I want someone who's got their own shit going on, you know, someone who's happy and content with their life and we kind of meet in the middle every now and again, that would be ideal. But someone who's calm, chilled, confident, knows what they want, loves their life. Someone who's really happy with their job, you know what I mean? Obviously he has to like dogs and he has to make me laugh. If you can make me laugh or take the piss out of me that’s great. I can be laughed into bed! Absolutely, yeah. Every single time.
What about looks?
I don’t have a certain type. I'm only 5 foot 8 so I like people who are bigger than me and look after themselves. You don't have to be ripped like a bodybuilder or anything like that. But someone who's physically fit, who looks after themselves, takes care of themselves. I don't like anyone that's really pretty, a pretty boy. I like someone who's a bit rough, like a bit manly. But faces, for me, change. If someone’s really, really gorgeous and then you get to know them and they're a bit of a dick, they become unattractive and vice versa. You can see someone who's alright looking. And then you get to know them and they become the most attractive person, I love that.
How are you feeling relinquishing control and giving it to the agents?
When I came into this, it was a case of, if you don't really fully embrace it and do it 100%, there's not really a lot of point being here. Do you know what I mean? So that was in my head of, like, just do it. Go with the flow. Do what you’re told. And, you know, they are actually experts at this. They’re not just TV presenters. This is actually what they do. So fingers crossed. And even if I get to the end and I haven’t met anyone, I can't really lose, to be fair. Even if I get to the end and decide that I'm happy being single, that's great. If I get to the end of it and I didn't find anyone but I still want to carry on my dating journey outside of this, because it was fun, that’s brilliant, too. Or they might find me someone. And that's great as well. I feel like this show is almost about getting you back in the routine of dating, because that could be scary. Just taking the plunge to get back in when you've been out of the game for so long because it's changed. And I've changed as well. Like, the last person I was who was going on dates before, that person doesn't exist anymore.
What were you like on dates back then, and how would you say you are now?
I've always been pretty easy to talk to. I don't know if people think I would be sort of intimidating or slightly standoffish or whatever because of what I do for work, but I think I'm pretty good at always making people feel comfortable. But very rarely, if I go on a date, would I go on a second date.
Are you a flirt on dates?
I don't think so. I get embarrassed quite easily. I'm quite self conscious in that respect, especially if it's obvious you're flirting. Do you know what I mean? I don't think I'm really a flirt, to be honest. It makes me uncomfortable when someone's very obviously flirting with me as well. One of the guys did it in the mixer, he said something about like, “oh you're so fit and so.” And I was like, “oh my God, that's so embarrassing.” If you can feel yourself blush, then it's like, oh no. And I blush really easily!
Have you had any dating disasters in the past?
I’ve never gone to the loo and then done a runner! There's a couple I wish I had done! The only one that I've actually hated and where I have left is when he was so rude to the wait staff. I can't stand it. He was just so rude. The guy was like super busy and we'd ordered our drinks and it took him a little longer than, I don't know, two minutes. And he was off with him, I was like, I’m off, that’s so rude. I told him to his face. I was like, “I’m going because you’re so rude”.
Is it harder to let you guard down with people when you’re famous and trying to date?
I don't know. I guess if I was like, you know, super duper famous, but I've never felt like that. Never ever felt like that. I've never known any different. I never had like a life as an adult beforehand and then it suddenly became that I was just straight in. So I've always, always been Jon from S Club, always. And once I left the band, I went straight into musical theatre, where you're sort of much more out of the spotlight, out of the limelight kind of thing. I was always pretty much left alone, really, which is great.