JB Gill (36) rose to fame as a member of one of the UK’s biggest boybands – JLS. They dominated the charts for five years, boasting 5 number 1 singles, over 10 million record sales worldwide and a multitude of awards.
In 2012, JB set up a farm in the Kent countryside, where he lives with his wife, Chloe, nine-year-old son, Ace and five-year-old daughter, Chiara. Their smallholding has successfully produced award winning KellyBronze turkeys and free-range Tamworth pork.
Now an established member of the farming community, JB has used his success within the entertainment industry to highlight his passion to educate children about the origins of their food and he is the lead presenter on CBeebies’ BAFTA-nominated television series, ‘Down On The Farm’ (created for children aged 0-6 years, teaching them about life on the farm and in the outdoors). JB’s brand new show ‘Cooking with The Gills’ sees JB and his family cook a wide range of delicious dishes to serve in their rural pop-up kitchen cafe. JB’s enthusiasm for farming life and knowledge of countryside issues has also secured him a presenter role on Channel 5’s ‘On The farm’ series and contributions to BBC’s ‘Countryfile’ and ‘Springwatch’.
JB has been part of the presenting team for BBC Songs of Praise since 2017.
In 2016, JB became the first ambassador for the Mayors’ Fund for London, an independent, social mobility charity, linked to the mayoral office, seeking to empower young Londoners from all walks of life in their journey onto London’s career ladder. JB has served as an ambassador for The British Red Cross, to raise awareness of the effects of climate change in some of the poorest regions in Zimbabwe, as well as an ambassador for the Royal Countryside Fund – founded by HM King Charles III – which seeks to support the farming community, assist family farms and help to address a vast range of countryside issues. He is also an ambassador for Mercy Ships, a faith-based international development organisation that deploys hospital ships, delivering vital, free healthcare to those in need around the world.
Most recently, JB was announced as ambassador for Farms For City Children a charity enabling children from disadvantaged communities to experience the adventure of working together on a farms in the heart of the British countryside. He is also a vice-president for the RSPCA, the oldest animal welfare charity.
JB performed with his wife, Chloe on the ITV Primetime show ‘Dance, Dance, Dance’, for which they won ‘Best Performance’ at the National Reality TV Awards 2017. JB continues to present on ‘Springtime, Summer, Autumn and Winter On The Farm’ for Channel 5. JB also presented BBC1 8-part series ‘Walks Of Life’ and BBC South East’s ‘River Walks: The Stour’, a regional show in which he walked 50 miles from the River Stour’s origins in the Kent Downs, to Pegwell Bay.
Most recently, JB became a published author with Puffin Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House, for the fabulous middle grade series ‘Ace and the Animal Heroes’. The first book in the series was released on 27th April 2023 and is available to order on all online bookstores. The second book in the series is due April 2024.
Cooking with the Gills follows popular presenter and farmer JB Gill and wife Chloe and two children Ace and Chiara, as they enlist the help of young cooks from around the UK to help cook a wide range of delicious recipes to serve in their rural pop-up kitchen cafe. This series is currently showing weekly on Saturday and Sunday, on Channel 5, Milkshake.
An avid sports fan, JB enjoys taking part in outdoor pursuits. He is a keen skier and snowboarder and is an advanced PADI Scuba-diver. In his spare time, JB likes to relax with his family and play an active role as a member of his local church.
