‘Prince Harry has wished me luck’
He’s won over Strictly fans with his beautiful performances, but Royal Marines Commando and Invictus Games champion JJ Chalmers’ relationship with dance started way before he signed up to the show.
He first started to learn some moves from a fellow Marine when he was based in Afghanistan in 2011, to impress his nowwife. Shortly afterwards, he was caught in an explosion that killed two of his friends and left him with horrific injuries.
“My face was crushed, my neck was broken, and my eardrums were burst. My arms essentially came off and were stuck back on by amazing surgeons,”
JJ, 33 – real name John James – revealed.
Years of recovery later, he’s facing an altogether different personal challenge, but says the support he has experienced from his Strictly partner, Amy Dowden – with whom he was still paired as Closer went to press – reminds him of the camaraderie he shared on the battlefield.
He says, “The thing you have to understand about being a Royal Marine is that when you’re putting yourself in harm’s way, your courage is really drawn from the people around you. I was able to put my life on the line because if the worst ever happened, then someone would have my back, and they did – my life was saved.
“Strictly is the same. I step out there and I’ve got Amy. I know that when I look across the dance floor and see her, I’ve got somebody who’s going to look after me. That’s why I can take on the challenge.”
And while some would bristle at the sight of sequins and spray tan, JJ says his costumes remind him of pulling on his military uniform.
“Once you put that uniform on, it’s like being in the Marines – like pulling something on with a Union Jack on the sleeve. You can’t help but stand tall and be proud in what you’re wearing. Once you put that suit on, you can’t help but have the frame of a dancer.”
JJ – who shares daughter Hayley, four, and son James, one, with his wife of five years, Kornelia Chitursko – soared to the top at the Invictus Games, the sporting event for wounded and sick ex-servicemen created by Prince Harry, in 2014. He captained the trike cycling team and took home three medals. The competition also sealed his close friendship with Prince Harry.
“Yes, Prince Harry has wished me luck
(on Strictly),” he says. “Everybody is behind me. They all want me to go out there and do them proud.
“By making it to this point, I’ve proved there’s life beyond injury, and something like the Invictus Games can be the catalyst for you to go on and have a new purpose in life. Not that I’m going to become a dancer…”
By Katie Begley