Strict finalist JB Gill believes he was “at a disadvantage” when his dance partner Amy Dowden withdrew from the competition due to medical issues.
The singer, who now dances with Lauren Oakley, said he was shocked and found it “difficult” when Dowden quit the series after collapsing months after being discharged from cancer.
Speaking about his exit as he bids to win the glitter dance on Saturday, Gill said: “At first I felt like it was a disadvantage, to be honest, because I was so used to dancing and working with Amy.
‘It’s not something that’s happened before on Strictly Come Dancing.
‘Having to deal with that was a lot. I was a bit nervous, because people are committed to partnerships and that’s what they love about Strictly Come Dancing. And so I didn’t know how that would affect my journey throughout the whole process.”
“That was a difficult adjustment to make. And I don’t think people understand how difficult it is to work as a couple with someone.
Strict finalist JB Gill believes he was “at a disadvantage” when his dance partner Amy Dowden withdrew from the competition due to medical issues and teamed up with Lauren Oakley.
The singer said he was shocked and found it “difficult” when Ms Dowden left the series after collapsing months after being discharged from cancer.
‘Then work with someone completely different. Obviously the professionals are used to it because they have been doing it for 15 or 20 years. But for me it was hard.”
He said working with Lauren was “completely different.” Since the new partnership, Gill has often appeared near the top of the rankings.
He said the coupling was “a bit of a shock” as “it wasn’t obvious what was going to happen”.
The musician and TV presenter now thinks his unconventional path to the final might have been a blessing in disguise because in the last four weeks he has received three 39s out of 40 from the jury, and even got a perfect 40 for his Salsa and now He is the second favorite behind Chris McCausland to win the show.
He said: “In hindsight it was probably an advantage, because it meant I had to survive every experience.” I had to work with Amy and get over that situation in the middle where it was changing.’
‘So I have to adopt a slightly different style, in the sense of working with Lauren. It has also helped me show different parts of myself, which has been a big help.”
‘Lauren has allowed me to bring out a different side of myself. And she is what I call a feeling dancer. To me, that’s really inspiring. And seeing the way she dances, on herself or when you see her in professional numbers is really inspiring.
‘I feel like we’ve been able to add a little bit of that to our partnership. And we have gone from strength to strength.”
Speaking about his exit as he attempts to win the glitter dance on Saturday, JB said: “I felt like it was a disadvantage at first, to be honest, because I was so used to dancing with Amy.”
JB, star of the pop band JLS, had originally been paired with Amy, who suffers from Crohn’s disease and is in remission from breast cancer, but was forced to take a week-long break after collapsing backstage during the week six live shows.
He later retired from competition entirely after a foot injury, and JB was permanently paired with Ms. Oakley.
But JB, who rose to fame on
“Even when he wasn’t working with me anymore, he was hugely on our side, wanting us to do well, messaging us to check in on how things were going and asking us how our week was.”
Speaking at the finalists’ press conference, he said Amy recently wrapped his knuckles on him for poor technique with Lauren during Musicals Week a fortnight ago.
He gushes about his new partner: ‘Lauren has allowed me to bring out a different side of myself. And she is what I call a feeling dancer. To me, that’s really inspiring.’
He said: “Amy really told me off at Viennese Waltz week because I had a thumbs up.”
‘She is a big part of the association. And she has been as valuable to me as Lauren. So it’s been great to have their support throughout that process.”
JB said reaching the final was a “brilliant feeling”. On Saturday, he and Lauren will dance three dances: a samba, the Viennese waltz and a showdance.
He said: ‘We’ve been listening to Motown songs in rehearsals. I think the most important thing for us this week is to remember that this is the last week, live it and have fun.”
He is not the first JLS member to take part in the BBC dance competition. His bandmate Aston Merrygold took part in 2017 and was controversially eliminated early in week seven in a dance-off against The Saturdays singer Mollie King.
Now JB is dropping hints to another of his bandmates for next year’s series.
“Marv will have to do,” he said of Marvin Humes. “He loves the show.” And now he hopes to spend time with his family over Christmas.
JB will compete against Tasha Ghouri, Sarah Hadland and Chris McCausland in Saturday’s final.
In 2014, he married dancer Chloe Tangney, with whom he shares a ten-year-old son, Ace, who is a footballer for the Tottenham Hotspurs youth team, and six-year-old daughter Chiara.
Speaking about his wife, he said: “She was a professional dancer, so for her and I it’s amazing to be in this world.” He said it literally the other day when we were looking at photos of Paso Doble. She said to her mother: ‘Look at his hands and feet, who is this man?’
‘She is proud of me, it is incredible to have her support.
‘The children are involved. They are inverted. They feed the tall ones. They feel the minimums. Same with Chloe. We are working together through this as a partnership. That’s what it was really about.
‘Chloe and Lauren are probably better partners than Lauren and I are now. “It’s amazing and that’s what it’s all about.”
Strictly Come Dancing: The Final airs Saturday at 6pm on BBC One.