Brothers were seen as ‘a joke’ by their peers.

Former pals revealed how the Grimes brothers – dubbed Jedward by fans – were mocked relentlessly for their bizarre rituals and flamboyant antics.

Friends said the duo, who fought back from a swine flu scare to perform We Will Rock You on last night’s show, were seen as “a joke” after they performed one of their trademark cringe-making song-and-dance routines in front of hundreds of their peers at the school’s annual talent contest.

The 18-year-old brothers eventually moved schools because of the bullies and the shool’s strict rules, which made them miserable. But some pals believe the taunts helped prepare the boys for the savage comments they have received from X Factor supremo Simon Cowell, who infamously called them: “Vile little creatures.”

One 18-year-old, who boarded at the same time as the Grimes, said the twins seemed to be “in a world of their own”.

He added: “They were weird guys – even their friends thought they were odd. They hung around with each other and didn’t mix much with everyone else. They seemed a lot less confident than they are now – they seemed quite miserable.”

The fellow boarder said: “They were obsessed with cleanliness and had some strange habits.

“John used to do this thing where he would thump the left side of his chest with his fist, then kiss his fingers and make a peace sign and say, ‘Don’t mess with the John-man’.

Friends in Lucan, west Dublin – where the twins live with their parents, teacher Suzanna and computer technician John, and brother Kevin, 19 – said the pair travelled around Ireland together to see their pop heroes, including Britney Spears, the Backstreet Boys and Justin Timberlake.

They hid their love of cheesy music until their act at the school talent show.

Hundreds of fellow pupils watched as the pair sang and danced – almost in perfect harmony – to Justin’s hit Love Stoned.

Students can be heard roaring with laughter and struggling to hold their camera phones steady during the 2007 routine, which can be seen exclusively on the Sunday Mirror website.

gary.anderson@sundaymirror.co.uk

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