Strictly Come Dancing star JB Gill has revealed what he considers the most demanding aspect of his time on the programme.
Former JLS heartthrob JB has navigated an eventful path on Strictly so far, especially after his dance partner Amy Dowden had to exit due to an injury. In stepped Lauren Oakley, initially as a temporary fix but ultimately securing her spot for the long haul.
From the start, JB and Amy were a dynamic duo, with Amy making a triumphant return to Strictly after battling her way back from cancer treatment. Yet fate had other plans when an injured foot compelled her to bow out, leading Lauren to fill those dancing shoes.
On Good Morning Britain today, JB said: “It’s going really really well. It’s a massive change and a massive shift, especially when you’re working with one person continuously and you work things out and then you’ve got a system in place. So to change that was a challenge. But it’s been amazing. It’s a different style of learning and working together.”
Presenter Ed Balls asked which partner was the sterner, as JB revealed: “They’re both pretty tough – but it’s me … Both of them were very good to say give it five minutes, let it settle and then we can go again.”
Despite her absence from the rest of this series of Strictly, the bond remains strong between JB and Amy.
He shared with The Mirror: “She messaged this morning just to find out how things are going. We’ve been in touch pretty much every day for the last couple of weeks, just talking about the routine, and offering advice where she can. Amy’s played a massive role in my development as a dancer and my understanding and knowledge when it comes to ballroom dancing. The transition’s not been easy, but the show must go on. The main thing really is for her to rest and get better.”
In the most recent week, JB and Lauren soared to the top of the leaderboard with their Viennese waltz to ‘Let’s Go Fly A Kite’ from Mary Poppins, securing an impressive 39 out of 40 points. Judge Anton du Beke praised them, saying they were “practically perfect in every possible way” and hailed their performance as “the best dance of the night”.
*Good Morning Britain airs weekdays at 6am on ITV1 and ITVX.