All the tea about S Club’s Jon Lee as he gears up to appear on Celebs Go Dating

Aug 11
Written by Emily Maskell

Jon Lee in a light blue denim shirt and white vest. He's standing against a pink star background.

Jon Lee will be looking for love on Celebs Go Dating. (Channel 4)

Ahead of Celebs Go Dating, which is back on our screens tonight (11 August), here’s everything you need to know about the gay S Club singer Jon Lee.

He was part of S Club (previously S Club 7) from 1999 until 2003 and reunited with them in 2023 for a two-week 25th-anniversary tour, following the death of band mate of Paul Cattermole.

Now, he’s about to take part in hit reality show Celebs Go Dating, where contestants are guided through the dating experience by relationship expert Anna Williamson, professional match-maker Paul C Brunson and sexual communication specialist Dr Tara Suwinyattichaiporn.

British pop singer Jon Lee in 2000. He's wearing an oversized red shirt with a gold necklace, silver bracelets and silver watch. He's got brown, short spiky hair — Jon Lee came out in 2010. (Tim Roney/Getty)

When did Jon Lee come out?

Lee came out as gay in an interview with Gay Times in 2010.

“If someone had said ’are you gay?’ I would have said yes, but no one ever did,” he said. “I’ve never felt the need to leap out of the closet singing and dancing about it.”

He knew he was gay from a young age and came out to family and friends long before the interview.

“It’s always been my life and it’s never needed to be a huge change that I’ve had to tell everyone about,” he added.

Jon Lee of S Club performs on stage during "Fabuloso Day 2 - Pride In The Park". He's wearing a rainbow open shirt and matching trousers. — Jon has been single for almost seven years. (Lorne Thomson/Getty)

Has he ever been married?

Apparently not. In fact, he has been single for six or seven years.

“I haven’t even been on a date, I’ve been with nobody at all for that long,” he revealed.

When asked what he’s looking for in a date, Lee replied: “I need something special because I’m actually content being single. I love being single. Obviously, he has to like dogs and he has to make me laugh. If you can make me laugh, that’s great. I can be laughed into bed.”

Jon Lee of S Club performs at The O2 Arena. He's in all yellow, his shirt with sequins on it. — He is on Instagram. (Joseph Okpako/Getty)

Jon’s on Instagram

Jon Lee, like many people, has an Instagram account. You can follow him @mrjonathanlee82.

Paul Cattermole, Rachel Stevens, Jon Lee, Jo O'Meara, Hannah Spearritt, Tina Barrett and Bradley McIntosh of S Club 7 attend the announcement of their "S Club 7 Reunited" reunion tour — Jon (third from left) wrestled with addiction at the height of his fame. (Dave J. Hogan/Getty)

Jon Lee’s addiction and rehab journey

Jon has shared that he has struggled with addiction to crystal meth.

Speaking to the MailOnline in July, he opened up that at the height of the band’s success, he was spending £250 (in the region of $440 at the time) a week on the recreational drug.

“I didn’t even recognise myself at that time,” he said. “Sometimes, in the midst of one of the psychotic episodes, where I’d be smashing my flat up with a hammer, I’d catch sight of myself in the mirror and say: ‘What the f**k?’ I’m not sure how I’m still here.”

Hallucinations caused by the drug led to Jon becoming increasingly paranoid, and he was sectioned in 2019.

Three years ago, he got a new sense of purpose after meeting a rescue dog in India, and has established a number of rescue centres.