
BBC Strictly star JB Gill lands new TV role in surprising Channel 5 documentary
JLS star JB Gill has been announced as the host of a brand new Channel 5 documentary just months after he was named as the runner-up of Strictly Come Dancing
Taking part in Strictly Come Dancing doesn't always guarantee a huge rise to fame post-show, but that's not the case for last year's runner-up JB Gill.
The ex-JLS star is on an upward trajectory, having just landed another television role with Channel 5. The beloved entertainer, who recently wowed audiences with his dance skills, is being courted for a variety of projects, showcasing his versatility by delving into farming and presenting—a far cry from his pop star days with JLS.
Now, he's set to surprise fans again as he takes the helm of his own Channel 5 documentary special.
JB has been announced as the presenter for Britain's Favourite Service Station, where he'll delve into the nation's most cherished motorway pit stops, some of which have reached iconic status.
An insider shared with The Sun: "Taking the mickey aside, this is a show that will likely pull in quite impressive viewing figures. After all, service stations are a bit of a guilty pleasure for most of us."
JB to host his own Channel 5 documentary
(Image: Getty Images )
Article continues below
They added: "Though it is still a bit of a surprise to see someone has come up with the idea of dedicating an entire show to examining them. Even more surprising is the fact they've roped in a former pop star as the host, but execs seem to think it will work."
JB, who seems to be a popular choice on the telly at the moment, participated in Strictly last December, securing second place with professional dancer Lauren Oakley during the 22nd series, reports Edinburgh Live.
JB is on the rise to TV since his Strictly stint
(Image: Eamonn M. McCormack, Getty Images )
Despite finishing as a runner-up, JB's journey wasn't without its challenges after his initial professional partner Amy Dowden had to withdraw early due to health issues, passing the baton to Lauren.
JB and Amy were only six weeks into the competition when she had to leave prematurely on medical grounds after collapsing backstage and falling ill.
JB hosts The One Show alongside Lauren Laverne
(Image: BBC )
Since then, he's been concentrating on his television career with several hosting stints on BBC's The One Show. In the new hour-long documentary, JB will be solely in charge of hosting, traversing the UK motorways in search of the best road pit-stop for fans.
The programme is in collaboration with a legitimate survey by consumer advocates Which?, as JB endeavours to identify Britain's best and worst service stations using a bottom to top ranking system.
Channel 5 has yet to reveal further details for Britain's Favourite Service Station which will be arriving in the coming weeks.
Article continues below
Strictly Come Dancing is available for streaming on iPlayer.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Strictly Come Dancing star is forced to pull out of live show hours before taking to the stage
Strictly Come Dancing star Janette Manrara revealed she has been forced to pull out of a live show just hours before taking to the stage on Wednesday. The professional dancer is currently starring in the UK tour of Chicago and was due to perform at Blackpool's Winter Gardens. But taking to Instagram to share a statement, Janette apologised to fans as she revealed she was 'unwell' and unable to perform. She wrote: 'It takes a lot for me to miss a show, so to anyone coming to Blackpool tonight, I am deeply sorry. 'I am unwell and must rest to recover quickly and be back on stage. 'The cast is absolutely phenomenal so the show will be as magical as it always is. 'I'm on the mend now and hoping to be back ASAP. Love you all, Jxxx.' She told the Blackpool Gazette: 'Blackpool's one of my favourite places in the UK. We go there every year with Strictly and it always lands around my birthday, so I've celebrated more birthdays there than anywhere else. 'Normally, I'm here in November, so to explore it in July is a real treat. I definitely want to take the cast to the Tower for afternoon tea and a dance. 'I've told them they have to see the ballroom with the big organ.' It comes after Janette opened up about her 'struggles' over being away from daughter Lyra and said she had 'never wanted to be home more' amid her 'manic' schedule. The It Takes Two host, who shares the two-year-old with husband and fellow show dancer Aljaž Škorjanec, 35, has been busy hosting Strictly's Live tour, starring in a production of musical Chicago and will soon embark on a string of shows with her husband. Speaking about her worries she told The Mirror: 'So it was more about Lyra. Is she going to be okay? Is she going to be at home? Is she going to be with Aljaz? What's the plan with Lyra?'. 'Although I am still doing those things, I have had to really kind of consider the schedule and while this year is manic, I've never wanted to be home more now she's in my life. I want to be home now more than ever'. Janette also said she had her 'fingers crossed' to return as host of the Strictly spin-off alongside Fleur East as the job gave her more time at home, while Aljaz rehearsed with his celeb partner. She told the publication: 'If I'm back, I'll have It Takes Two two or three days a week and then the rest of the time I can be at home with Lyra. That's like my time to be mummy!''. Last month Janette wiped away tears in an emotional Instagram post, as she prepared to bid farewell to her husband and their daughter. She joined the touring cast for the musical Chicago and was heading to Ireland for a string of shows, after her performances at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Janette then headed to Belfast for shows at the Grand Opera House. The star had previously shared that she won't see Aljaz or Lyra for those two weeks, and instead they're planning to spend time with his family in Slovenia. In a video posted on her Instagram Stories, Janette revealed she had bid farewell to her family ahead of her tour shows, and shared a message for other working parents. She said: 'Hi gang. Just said my goodbyes to Aljaž and Lyra, and I won't see them for two weeks now but sharing is good because it makes us all feel better. 'And I miss them a lot. It's the longest I'll be away from Lyra so just starting to count down to the day I see her again.' 'But in the mean time, I'm gonna stay strong and know that mommy is making her proud. And she is gonna have the best time with her cousins and her nan in Slovenia. 'Anyways, to all the parents that have to say goodbye to their kids for work or for whatever reason, it's always tough but we've got this! We've got it.' Alongside the clip, Janette shared another message for her followers, writing: 'It always makes me feel better to share. Hope this also helps other working parents out there. It's hard but we got this.'


Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
CHRISTOPHER STEVENS reviews last night's TV: Keep off the NHS wards Netflix, and leave it to the experts at Channel 5
Casualty 24/7: Every Second Counts (Ch5) Rating: Channel 5 is the home of shows about farmers, compilations of royal archive footage, and wistfully nostalgic celebrations of chocolate bars in the 1970s. You don't switch on expecting to see 15-part international political thrillers with Emmy-winning performances from Hollywood superstars and CGI spectaculars where terrorists blow up the White House. That is best left to the mega-budget streaming services. So why on earth is Netflix making a formulaic, NHS-by-numbers hospital documentary, when that's the speciality of traditional broadcasters with limited funds? Critical: Between Life And Death is a carbon copy of shows aired every week, not only on Ch5 but on the BBC and Ch4. Each series has its own angle: Ambulance follows the paramedic crews, Surgeons: At The Edge Of Life goes into the operating theatre, and 24 Hours In A&E charts the frantic pace on emergency wards. All of them are polished, well-practised productions. It's arrogant of Netflix to assume they can elbow their way into this market and give the formula a new twist. They can't: the six episodes of Critical feel robotic and slightly insincere, a cynical attempt to steal another broadcaster's successful format. The series is filmed across London 's Major Trauma System, a network of teams within the NHS. 'It's a big orchestra working together,' the voiceover explains, 'and everyone leaves their mark' — a vacuous and meaningless statement. The first episode follows the aftermath of an accident at a fairground, where several people including a 12-year-old girl have been injured on a ride. The injuries seem severe at first, with one woman suffering a fractured skull, but everyone escapes with their lives and the odd broken bone. The drama of this is dragged out for 40 minutes, at the same relentless pitch of anxiety throughout. There are no other storylines, no moments of humour or asides, with the result that the whole show becomes a trudge. Casualty 24/7: Every Second Counts, returning for its tenth series on Ch5, demonstrates how it should be done. The cheery voice of actor Dean Andrews begins by introducing us to the staff on duty, who this time include a ward sister called Jane who reveals a stash of lollipops and choccie bars — fuel for the busy day. 'Get ready to share a shift with the team at Barnsley Casualty,' announces Dean, with the chirpiness of a man on his way to the vending machine for a cup of milky coffee with two sugars. There's nothing as cataclysmic as a disaster at the fairground, but the medical emergencies grip our emotions because the film-makers know what really matters: people, not procedures. John, 67, fell and broke his wrist while feeding the cat. Nine-year-old Alice snapped her collarbone, and doesn't know whether to be horrified or thrilled by her predicament. And dog-walker Cerys, 21, keeps having asthma attacks . . . because she's allergic to dogs. Possibly time for a career change.


Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Strictly's Amy Dowden reveals why she refuses to look at the rumoured line-up as she insists she's 'stronger than ever' ahead of returning to the show after cancer battle
Strictly Come Dancing's Amy Dowden says she had the 'hardest time' after ringing the chemotherapy bell when she completed her cancer treatment. The professional dancer Now in remission, Amy is hoping to raise awareness of the importance of checking in with people even after they have got the all-clear from cancer. 'I was so lucky with my friends and family; they rallied around us, but there's so many people who told me they didn't hear from anybody after they rang their bell - they thought they were fine. 'But little do they know, that's the hardest time, because that's when you've had all your chemo, that's when you're really struggling to walk up the stairs and really feeling the impact of a cancer treatment and diagnosis. 'I think it's important that people just having a better understanding.' has revealed why she refuses to look at the show's rumoured line-up. The BBC show is set to return to screens in September, with a plethora of celebrities tipped to take part including Dani Dyer, Stacey Solomon and Vicky Pattison. However, while excitement builds about the line-up, dancer Amy, 34, told in an exclusive interview with the MailOnline how she purposely avoids the speculation as she prefers her partner to be a 'lovely surprise'. Meanwhile, the Welsh beauty told how she's 'stronger than ever' as she gears up to join her fellow professional dancers for the new series following her battle with breast cancer. Speaking of the rumoured cast for the 2025 show, Amy shared: 'I haven't seen [the rumoured line-up], and I don't look at it. Normally, none of them are normally on the show anyway. 'We don't get told anything, and I'm glad we don't because I want a lovely surprise.' Amy went on to say that she'd recently been filming Celebrity Hunted alongside fellow pro Carlos Gu, so had not 'seen anything' anyway. She added: 'Me being genuinely honest, I don't tend to not look anyway, because most of the time it is not true.' Meanwhile, Amy insisted that she's feeling 'fitter and stronger than ever right now' in light of both her ongoing recovery from cancer as well as her injury last year which forced her to quit that series. The star was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer at the age of just 32 in 2023 and made the decision early on to openly share her journey in the hope that it would help other people. When asked how she knew the lump she discovered the day before her honeymoon was different, she admitted that the key to her early, lifesaving diagnosis was getting to know her breasts ahead of time. She said: 'It was a real solid lump for a start, and it wasn't on the other breast.' The dancer, who was forced to pull out of last year's Strictly because of a foot injury, stressed: 'If there is something that you are not sure about, go to the GP. Get a check-up. 'It doesn't matter how big or small it might feel - don't think of being a nuisance. It's why we have the healthcare system we have in place.' Meanwhile, the Welsh beauty told how she's 'stronger than ever' as she gears up to join her fellow professional dancers for the new series following her battle with breast cancer While Amy was thankfully given the all-clear last year after an operation and chemotherapy, she is now speaking out about the 'longest' part of her cancer journey - her recovery While Amy was thankfully told she had 'no evidence of cancer' last year after surgery and chemotherapy, she is now speaking out about the 'longest' part of her journey - her recovery. Generally speaking, those who have had breast cancer are at the greatest risk of recurrence in the first five years. The star said: 'I was very deluded - I literally thought I would be ringing the bell and my life would come back. 'I didn't anticipate or realise the journey ahead of recovery and how long it was going to take, both physically and mentally, and I wish I had more preparation for that.' Speaking in collaboration with Keep Ahead, a campaign to raise awareness of the aftermath of cancer initiated by Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK, Amy said that while she still has a challenging number of years ahead of her, she is getting through the uncertainty by doing what she loves, dancing. She said: 'Especially this year, just throwing myself into that - taking dance lessons, being on theatre tours, and being able to now do what I love most and what makes me happy is what has got me through some tough times.' The star was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer at the age of just 32 in 2023 and made the decision early on to openly share her journey in the hope that it would help other people Amy was speaking at the launch of Keep Ahead - a campaign initiated and funded by Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK. It aims to raise awareness of the life after cancer, risk and fear of recurrence, and empower people living with breast cancer to take an active role in decision making about their treatment and care journey.