Following in the footsteps of his JLS bandmate Aston Merrygold, performer JB Gill is among the 15 celebrities taking part in this year’s 20th anniversary series of Strictly Come Dancing.
The 37-year-old rose to fame in 2008 with his boyband JLS, comprised of singers Oritse Williams, Marvin Humes and Merrygold. While the band formed in 2006, it was their performances on 2008’s edition of The X Factor that saw the group become a household name.
Their TV appearances caught the attention of label Epic Records, which saw them sign a recording contract and release three albums: JLS (2009), Outta This World (2010) and Jukebox (2011), which spawned some of their most-loved hits including “Beat Again”, “Everybody in Love” and “One Shot”.
The band went their separate ways in 2012, and performed a farewell tour in addition to releasing a greatest hits album.
However, after several years of pursuing their own solo projects, the band reunited in 2020 and have continued to tour together. They released their fourth album, 2.0, in 2021 and have just wrapped up another UK tour.
Away from his JLS work, Gill has developed a successful career as a TV presenter, working on BBC’s Songs of Praise since 2017, Channel 5’s Holiday Homes in the Sun and Channel 5’s Cooking with the Gills.
Gill is also an avid farmer. In 2012, he set up a farm in the Kent countryside, where he lives with his wife, Chloe, nine-year-old son, Ace and five-year-old daughter, Chiara. He met his wife when she was working as a backing dancer for JLS.
Inspired by his farming venture, Gill has presented agricultural shows including CBeebies’ Bafta-nominated television series, Down On The Farm, Channel 5’s On The Farm series, plus contributions to the BBC’s Countryfile and Springwatch.
In Down On The Farm, Gill taught children about what happens on farms, from livestock to harvesting, and how food is made.
The musician is no stranger to Strictly – he took home the trophy on the 2012 Christmas show, performing a jive to “Rockin’ Robin” alongside professional dancer Ola Jordan.
Speaking about his sign-up to this year’s competition, Gill said: “I danced in the Strictly Christmas special over a decade ago and loved it, so when I got the call to join Strictly this year, it was an immediate yes from me.”
“I’m raring to go to and looking forward to showing off some new skills to the JLS boys.
“From muddy wellies on the fields of my farm to sequins and Glitterballs – I’m here to embrace it all!”
This year’s competition is particularly special as the show celebrates its 20th anniversary.
This season also ushers in a new era for the competition as it fosters a revamped workplace culture following the wave of allegations concerning the conduct of professional dancers Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Parma.
The allegations have forced the Strictly team to include more welfare measures to support contestants in this year’s competition, which has seen the production team introduce chaperones into the rehearsal rooms to manage relations.
