Nearly 20 years after The X Factor, JB Gill is still right at home in the spotlight. He has showcased his rural lifestyle, competed on Strictly, and presented The One Show – and now he is back playing arenas with JLS. The singer and bandmate Oritsé Williams spoke to Meg Jorsh about how the right support made all the difference.
The X Factor's mixed legacy
The show may have been cancelled in 2021, but its legacy is there every time you switch on the telly. Many of the UK's biggest stars have been through The X Factor – as hopefuls, judges, or guest performers. But for every Harry Styles, now 32 and more successful than ever, there is a Steve Brookstein, famously dropped by Simon Cowell's label eight months after winning the contest in 2004.
Some contestants, like Lucy Spraggan and Katie Waissel, have called their X Factor run a “traumatic” experience. But others, like singer JB Gill, have always seemed to thrive in the public eye. “A show like the X Factor, it’s not one cap fits all,” says the star, born Jonathan Benjamin. “People will definitely have had negative experiences, and they come out of it and relate that.”
Strength in numbers
“One of the biggest differences for us is that we were going through it as a group. So even in our down moments, like being in the bottom two or whatever, being able to share it with somebody means someone can pick you up,” he adds.
As a member of boyband JLS, JB was just 21 when they were named runners-up in 2008. Since then, his career has gone from strength to strength, including presenting gigs on Songs of Praise and The One Show, and a CBeebies series set on his turkey farm in Sevenoaks, Kent. More recently, he has been back on the road with the group, including a series of festival appearances this summer.
JB says: “We made it our mission to work as hard as possible. We’ve come from backgrounds and families that have instilled that. And when you approach anything with that level of desire, coupled with the fact we’ve had incredible people around us, our teams, our families, our fans… I think that’s gone a long way towards helping us stand the test of time.”
Preparing the next generation
The 39-year-old is also a dad, sharing 12-year-old son Ace and daughter Chiara, eight, with his dancer wife Chloe Tangney. It has made him determined to help empower the stars of the future. “Something I’m incredibly passionate about is preparing the next generation,” he says. “Both my children are involved in the industry. They're both modelled from a very early age and my son is acting as well.”
“He's been in various different TV productions – he was recently in his third series of a BBC drama. So he's only 12 years old and he's experiencing the industry as an individual, effectively.” To make sure Ace has the best possible experience, JB and Chloe keep a close eye on the roles he takes on. “We don't want to expose him to anything too soon,” he explains. “We want it to be the right opportunity for him.”
Headlining Girlguiding's Big Gig
It is a philosophy that feeds into JB's charity work, including his support for Girlguiding. He will be joining JLS on stage at Wembley Arena on October 10, at the youth group's Big Gig for members aged 10 to 18. He says: “I’ve always thought of our performances and our songs in the light of performing in front of my own daughter or female members of our family. I want it to be a respectful, wholesome experience.”
“And that’s one of the reasons we’ve been able to be part of this show. We’re looking forward to bringing fun and energy and excitement to the stage, and allowing those Guides to celebrate and enjoy themselves.”
Of course, today's teens and pre-teens are growing up in a different world to the group's original fans. The boybands that once had them swooning have now been replaced by YouTubers and K-Pop stars. But given the show was an instant sell-out, there is clearly still a market for some classic pop magic. JLS member Oritsé Williams, 39, is confident they can impress the new generation.
He says: “I think what’s fascinating is that a lot of the Guides, it would have been their moms, their sisters, their aunties, their cousins that would have grown up with us. A lot of them are going to be introduced to us for the first time. But we’ve always put out music that unites so many people – songs like Everybody In Love, and Love You More, that are just kind of timeless. So I think it’s a very powerful message we’re able to present.”
For Oritsé, who grew up caring for his mother with multiple sclerosis, it is also a chance to connect with young carers in the crowd. “There are so many Guides and Scouts that are young carers out there,” he adds. “It allows them some time away from home to be able to be children, to let their hair down and really find themselves.”
JLS headline Girlguiding's Big Gig at Wembley Arena on October 10. Girlguiding is the UK's largest youth organisation dedicated to girls. Visit girlguiding.org.uk for information on joining and volunteering.
