Inside JLS star JB’s life away from fame as he sells pork as a farmer

He found fame as one quarter of hit boyband JLS on The X Factor, but JB Gill has now carved out a new career for himself away from the spotlight.

The singer, 36, has traded recording studios and touring for farming after purchasing an 11-acre farmstead in Kent for £1.2 million back in 2012.

JB, real name Jonathan Benjamin Gill, has since turned his farm into a business and owns dozens of animals, including cats, chickens and pigs.

His unusual career path all came about when he went looking for a dog at the RSPCA with his father, who ended up agreeing to rescue a pig, named Ginger, during the visit.

Explaining what happened next, the JLS favourite told the Express: "And so Ginger came to live with us. He was my very first animal. I knew nothing about farming, but we had the buildings on site to use. It grew from there. Now we have around 70 pigs."

He's gone on to rescue cats and chickens, and now even sells pork and turkey, which has proven to be a lucrative business venture.

Becoming a farmer has also improved JB's mental health. He explained: "Being outdoors and connecting with nature pretty much every day is amazing. In terms of my mental health, that's been a real benefit."

"I love some of the more mundane tasks – mucking out is like mindfulness meditation to me. Most people turn their nose up at it, but it gives me time to think," JB added.

JB's farm is a family affair, with his wife Chloe, 34, and their two children, Ace, eight, and Chiara, five, all mucking in and helping out too.

His farming venture has also landed him new TV opportunities, with JB becoming the host of CBeebies show Down on the Farm in 2015 and also appearing on Countryfile and On The Farm.

JB's an ambassador for Farms for City Children, a charity connecting children to farming, and The Royal Countryside Fund, which was founded by King Charles III in 2010.

He's also branched out into children's books and released his first book, Ace and The Animal Heroes, in March 2023.

JB found fame on The X Factor alongside Aston Merrygold, Oritse Williams and Marvin Humes in 2008. The group came in second place on the show, losing out to Alexandra Burke, and went on to sign a record deal with Epic Records.

The group disbanded in 2013 but announced their reunion earlier this year along with a huge comeback tour.

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