BBC Strictly Come Dancing's JB Gill reveals winning chances as he plots career change

JB Gill believes he can win Strictly Come Dancing as "the underdog". The JLS singer knows he isn't the favourite to lift the glitterball trophy, with comic Chris McCausland tipped to triumph, but he's still doing his best and hopes to prove people wrong by being rewarded for his hard work.

JB is dancing with Lauren Oakley in the BBC One dance contest, after his original partner Amy Dowden had to pull out due to injury, and the pair will perform during the show's quarter-final on Saturday night (November 30).

Referencing how JLS - who he stars in alongside Aston Merrygold, Marvin Humes and Oritse Williams - were X Factor runners-up to Alexandra Burke in 2008, he told The Sun newspaper: "You have to have your eye on the prize because you’ve got to be in it to win it.

READ MORE: BBC Strictly Come Dancing pro deals Chris McCausland blow just before quarter final

"With any final, sometimes the underdogs can go and win it. All we can do is put our best foot forward and make sure our routines are the best that we can do them — the rest is down to the power of the people.

"This is slightly different to X Factor because I think coming second was ­probably the right thing for us at that time, although we were ­desperate to win. I think it definitely did help our career as JLS, but I still have a career — as does everybody else in the show."

The 37-year-old added: "Winning Strictly would really be the icing on the cake. We’ve worked incredibly hard and we’ve gone through challenges as well. If you can go all the way and pick up the trophy, then it’s an incredible achievement for all the hard work that you put in.”

The 'Beat Again' hitmaker has started to enjoy the routines more and thinks that's helped his performance. He said: "It’s just been amazing for me to express myself musically. I think that has been the turning point, really — just being able to have routines that perhaps complement me and my style a bit more. I’ve been able to really enjoy the dancing. It made the difference.”

And when 'Strictly' is over, JB hopes to put his new dance skills to the test in a different way. He said: "You know, Craig Revel Horwood said one week that I was becoming the showman. So, yeah, listen, I would ­definitely be up for the West End!”