JLS star JB Gill has zero fear of the so-called Strictly Come Dancing curse striking his marriage when he takes to the dancefloor later this year.
The X Factor star – who rose to fame in the boyband in 2008 alongside Aston Merrygold, Oritsé Williams, and Marvin Humes – joins a promising line-up as the BBC flagship show celebrates 20 years on air.
Love Island’s Tasha Ghouri, Towie’s Pete Wicks, comedian Chris McCausland, EastEnders star Jamie Borthwick, singer Shayne Ward, and Miranda actress Sarah Hadland are just a handful of celebs who’ll be hoping to lift the glitter ball trophy.
Of course, Strictly is known for its infamous ‘curse’ where stars’ relationships off the dancefloor suffer breakdowns at the hands of their partnerships with their dance pros.
We had Katya Jones and her celeb partner Seann Walsh share a smooch, while the likes of Ben Cohen and Kristina Rihanoff, Stacey Dooley and Kevin Clifton, and Ricky Whittle and Natalie Lowe have all fallen victim.
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Adamant he won’t be the next name on the list, however, JB, 37, says his wife is his number one supporter.
The Beat Again hitmaker has been married to backing dancer Chloe Tangney, 34, since 2014, having started dating in late 2008.
They also share two children: a son called Ace Jeremiah Gill, nine, and a daughter named Chiara Sapphire Gill, five.
Speaking to MailOnline, JB said he and Chloe have ‘incredible communication’ and his Strictly stint ‘will not change’ that.
‘We communicate incredibly well and we’ve always said that’s one of the keys to a very successful and strong relationship, let alone marriage,’ he began.
‘For us, this is not gonna change that at all.’
‘To be honest, I probably have the best wife that you could have, for any contestant doing this show, because she comes from that world,’ he added.
‘And although she wasn’t a ballroom dancer, we both understand what goes into it. We know that it’s not easy and it’s going to be difficult. She gets it, she’s been on tours herself.
‘She’s obviously had to partner with other people, that’s just part of the world. So she’s very excited for me.’
JB – full name Jonathan Benjamin Gill – said Chloe ‘can’t wait to offer advice’ which he is ‘grateful’ for since he isn’t a trained dancer himself.
‘I’ll be able to hear from her and work alongside my pro. She can’t wait for the journey to start just like me.’
Although, fans are unsure whether the Strictly curse will be such an issue this time around, given that chaperones have been introduced in the training room.
Following complaints against Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima – both of whom have since left Strictly – bosses have introduced extra measures to ensure the safety and well-being of stars.
This includes appointing a celebrity welfare producer and a professional dancer welfare producer, and delivering further training for the production team and crew to avoid further scandal.
It comes after Giovanni was accused of ‘toxic’ behaviour and ‘bullying’ by Amanda Abbington, which he denies, while Graziano is alleged to have ‘kicked’ Zara McDermott, while he maintains he is ‘not an abusive man’.
This year, Strictly celebrates two decades of glitz and glamour and is set to be its biggest spectacle yet.
Joining JB in the line-up are Gladiators’ Montell Douglas, DIY SOS star Nick Knowles, Go Compare singer Wynne Evans; 80s music icon Toyah Willcox, and BBC Morning Live star Dr Punam Krishan.
JB – who has sold over 10million records with JLS after placing second to Alexandra Burke on The X Factor – is the second of his band to compete in Strictly.
In 2017, Aston took part in the show’s 15th series and was controversially eliminated alongside pro partner Janette Manrara after seven weeks.
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Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC One and BBC iPlayer this autumn.
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