Strictly star JB Gill: 'Pigs all have their own character. Same with the turkeys'

It’s the day after the final date of the Strictly Come Dancing live tour but JB Gill has no time for downtime. “No days off. Come on, you know I’ve been in this industry way too long,” he tells Big Issue.

But which industry? In a wildly varied career, JB Gill has gone from boyband stardom with JLS to award-winning farmer – with TV presenting and getting through to the Strictly final fitted around breeding prize-winning pigs and champion turkeys on his Kent farm.

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There’s also been time to begin a series of children’s books, Ace and the Animal Heroes, where a pair of magic wellies allows Ace (named after Gill’s son) to talk to the animals. 

The latest instalment, The Wacky Weather Mystery, feels timely in our age of climate chaos.

Big Issue: Have you had any of your Strictly co-stars down on the farm?

JB Gill: Not yet. I mean, Strictly, it’s pretty full-on. But Sarah Hadland has a little boy who’s a similar age to my daughter, and we got on really well so I’m sure in the future she’ll be coming down to the farm

What made you take such a dramatic career change, from singing to farming?

One of the reasons I wanted to establish a farm was because we had the space and it was always about utilising that to the best of its ability, helping it to become an asset for me and the family. Ultimately, I believe our life isn’t ever lived in isolation. Just because I do music doesn’t mean I can’t do anything else. 

Very early on I tried to incorporate my passion for farming and being outdoors into my television work, Cooking with the Gills, and Down on the Farm for CBeebies, where I started. They are removed, but they’re not so far removed that it doesn’t make sense. I am lucky that I get to do lots of different things and call it part of my career; with the book, being able to write about a topic that I’m incredibly
passionate about.

Do you have an animal hero?

I’m gonna go with Nala, my dog. Nala was rescued when she was 10 weeks old, and nobody wanted her because she’s a mastiff cross and was going to be a big dog. When we got her, she’d had a few things done to her, she’d been burned, she’d bounced from house to house. We took her home on the last day of JLS’s Goodbye tour. We’ve had her 11 years now. Just seeing how she developed and changed, she’s a hero for us.

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Even if you don’t have magic wellies like Ace in your story, can you talk to animals?

The more time you spend with anybody or anything, the more you get to know them and what makes them tick. And every animal is different. Pigs all have their own character, same with the turkeys. They all have their own little quirks. But actually, they rub off on each other as well.

When you meet young fans, are they more excited to talk to you about being a pop star, Strictly or the fact you work on a farm?

It depends on where they know me from. I think now I’m JB Gill from Strictly, so it’s definitely developed over the years. If you can talk to the next generation about something that they’re passionate about, whether that’s food, dancing, singing or whatever it might be it’s a great source of inspiration. You hear it said, ‘You can’t be what you can’t see.’ So if I’m able to be an example for anybody who’s watching or following me then long may that continue.

Has wacky weather become more apparent since you moved to a more rural environment?

Growing up in South London, you didn’t see snow that often, and if you did, it melted very, very quickly. Living out where we live, the snow comes – and it’s probably the same amount of snow that drops in Central London – but it stays for a lot longer, and it makes it a lot more difficult to get around. 

But as much as there are differences there are a lot of similarities as well. For me, it’s really important to try and close that perceived gap between city and countryside.

For most people, an increased amount of wacky weather is an inconvenience. How do farmers navigate unpredictable challenges?

A lot of it has to do with the community. In other industries it’s more cutthroat. In music, every week you’re competing in a chart or for an award. Whereas within the farming community I’ve always found people support each other because they’re going through similar things.

If you get a super late frost or a super warm summer that impacts growing. The way a lot of farmers navigate it is by having that farming network that can chip in and help out if necessary. One of the things I that hope for the next generation is that there’ll be a mutual love and appreciation for food and where it comes from. This is a community that needs our support. We need to encourage people to buy food from Britain over encouraging importing from elsewhere. 

Ace and the Animal Heroes: The Wacky Weather Mystery is out now (Puffin, £7.99) and is available to order from the Big Issue shop on bookshop.org, which helps to support Big Issue and independent bookshops.

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