Tony Cowell chats to JB Gill
JB Gill found fame as a member of JLS – one of the UK’s biggest boybands. After finishing as runners-up on The XFactor in 2008, the group went on to dominate the charts for five years, boasting five number one singles, including Everybody inLove and SheMakes MeWanna. Four years ago, the 33-year-old set up home on a farm in the Kent countryside, where he now lives with his wife, Chloe, fiveyear-old son, Ace, and 18-month-old daughter, Chiara. JB, who studied Theology and has been part of the Songsof Praise presenting team since 2017, explains why he’s helping an education initiative for kids, and how he feels about going back on tour in November…
The JLS Beat Again tour starts later this year – are you nervous about stepping on to that stage again?
Ha! Yes, and no. I was nervous when we did our first comeback performance on The One Show, because we were never sure how it would be received. We spent a lot of time rehearsing but, in the end, it went well, I think. Now we can’t wait for the tour, and pray it will go ahead.
You were always close as a group – is that why you’ve stayed the course?
I think so, yes – we were always good friends, right from the off. We’re like a family, so every now and then, we all meet up with our kids and hang out together. We speak all the time, and have our own WhatsApp group as well.
As all of you have kids now – will you be bringing them on stage during the tour?
It’s kind of a dream of mine to have my kids on stage, to help them understand how I started, and what I did for over five years with JLS. It could be quite a big moment for all of us, because we have come a long way together.
Tell us about the project you’re involved with, Tiny Happy People...
It’s an initiative to help parents and carers to develop language and communication skills for kids under four. I have a daughter (Chiara) who is almost two years old and about to start nursery, so that’s one reason I wanted to get involved. It’s about trying to enhance their communication skills before they go to school. It’s a really fun, helpful BBC website with interactive games. I find, with my kids, it helps to try to talk to them as if they are adults. My son, Ace, is five; and it’s helped him gain confidence.
Do you think lockdown and home-schooling has made parents more appreciative of teachers?
Yes, home-schooling isn’t easy, even if you are confident as a parent. It’s still difficult, and you forget how you were taught yourself. Being in lockdown has highlighted just how important the role that teachers and nursery staff are playing in our children’s lives. I think we’ve been guilty of taking teachers for granted.
Are you worried about your son, Ace, returning to school?
I was worried. In fact, we didn’t send him back on
1 June, because we wanted to see the rate of infection come down. Now there is a downward trend, I think it’s important he spends time with his classmates.
You’re playing a free show for NHS frontline workers – tell us about that…
Yes, we are doing a show just for NHS frontline staff. There are so many workers who have contributed to our health and safety, and some are in my family. We wanted to show our appreciation to these amazing people and give something back – to help take their minds off all their tremendous hard work.
How often do you think back to that X Factor final?
Ha! Well, in that moment I was devastated we didn’t win! If you look at my face on the TV clips, it says it all. But look, in hindsight, we did amazingly well from our time on that show – we went on to have some amazing success. We are not the only ones who didn’t win the show, but went on to have a huge career. Just look at One Direction, or Olly Murs. So, in a way, I have to say thank you to The X Factor.
Will JLS be recording some new music together soon, then?
We would love to release some new music, yes. But, because of lockdown restrictions, we can’t get into a studio right now. We are forever hopeful that we can do that before the end of the year, to coincide with the tour.
For info on Tiny Happy People, visit bbc.co.uk/ tiny-happy-people. For JLS Beat Again Tour 2020 tickets, see jlsofficial.com.
‘It’s a dream of mine to have my kids on stage, to help them understand how I started’