The Strictly Come Dancing semi-final is always a huge occasion for the remaining celebrities and their professional partners. But for one of this year’s contestants, it fell on an important date: their birthday. And what better way is there to celebrate than with a perfect score?
Strictly 2024 has seen Tasha Ghouri top the leaderboard the most – doing so in seven out of the 12 weeks. But one competitor has been hot on her heels: birthday boy JB Gill. On three occasions, the JLS singer has tied in first place with the former Love Island star, and on three others, he’s had the top spot all to himself.
With the grand final in touching distance, Gill pulled out all the stops to show viewers why he deserves to be there.
His first dance, a Paso Doble to “Requiem for a Tower” by Clint Mansell, had all the required drama and clever cape-ography. As Craig Revel Horwood put it, the routine was “absolutely brilliant” (though the judge still reached for his “9” paddle, giving Gill and pro Lauren Oakley a score of 39).
The JLS star’s second performance – a Salsa to Basement Jaxx’s “Red Alert” – couldn’t have been more different. The lift-packed choreography brought an injection of energy to the ballroom and prompted a Strictly first as Horwood gave Gill a congratulatory handshake, in a nod to Great British Bake Off judge Paul Hollywood, who was in the audience. And at long last, after weeks of being so close, Gill finally landed a perfect score.
Plenty has been said about his fellow semi-finalists over the course of the series. The significance of Tasha Ghouri’s previous dance experience has been debated, as has whether Pete Wicks deserves his place in the competition. Sarah Hadland has (rightly) won praise for her empowering performances and Chris McCausland has (again, rightly) been lauded for his skillful and often emotional routines, a feat made even more impressive by the challenges he faces in training.
Gill then, compared to the others, has often flown under the radar. But each week, he’s brought heaps of energy to the ballroom and out of all the remaining celebrities, he’s always looked like he’s having the most fun on the dancefloor.
Midway through the series, he faced the unenviable task of getting to know and dancing with a new partner, after Amy Dowden was forced to pull out of the show due to injury. Nevertheless, Gill powered on, with his positive attitude and sunny outlook helping him build new bonds with replacement Oakley (all while remaining respectful and considerate to a clearly heartbroken Dowden).
His two performances on Saturday night weren’t just the product of a great final week, they were testament to the glorious series he’s had so far. And whatever happens next, Gill has so much to be proud of. Saturday night’s perfect 40 was the cherry on the cake. Happy birthday indeed.
