Oritse couldn’t be prouder of his bandmate JB Gill on Strictly (Image: Grove Gallery)Get daily celeb exclusives and behind the scenes house tours direct to your inboxMore Newsletters SubscribePlease enter a valid emailSomething went wrong, please try again later.More NewslettersWe use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More infoThank you for subscribing!We have more newslettersShow me See OurPrivacy Notice See OurPrivacy Notice×Group 28 Get daily celeb exclusives and behind the scenes house tours direct to your inboxInvalid emailSomething went wrong, please try again later.Sign UpNo thanks, closeWe use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More info×Group 28Thank you for subscribing!We have more newslettersShow MeNo thanks, closeSee our
Privacy NoticeStrictly contestant JB Gill and his partner Amy Dowden, who made her triumphant return to the show this series following cancer treatment, have been impressing viewers on the dance show so far. And JB’s JLS bandmate Oritse Williams, who earlier this year spoke movingly about being a carer for his mum, who has MS, speaks exclusively to OK! at artist Zara Muse’s latest exhibition, Winds of Change, at London’s Grove gallery, as he says he has high hopes for the pair. The singer, who has been married to Kaz Kumar since 2022, shares his thoughts with OK! about JB and Amy as a pairing, the latest on his band JLS, who shot to fame as runners up to winner Alexandra Burke on X Factor in 2008 – and whether he would ever considering putting on his dancing shoes on national TV like JB and fellow bandmate Aston Merrygold have done before him…
Oritse believes Amy and his JLS pal JB could go all the way on Strictly
(Image: PA Media)
How do you think JB’s doing on Strictly – how far do you think he will go? JB and Amy Dowden are a great dance partner pairing – they’re the perfect match, I think. JB smashed it on the Strictly Christmas special and so I don’t doubt he’s going to go really far in the competition this year with Amy and his determination and positivity will really shine through, they will definitely smash it. Aston did Strictly couple of years ago. How do you think JB is doing in comparison? Yeah he did, and we were all so proud of how well Aston did, but with these types of shows,. You know, you can never guarantee or 100% call it and predict what’s going to happen or who is going to win – but I know JB will go far and do well, for sure.
JLS star Aston Merrygold also did Strictly with Janette Manrara
(Image: PA)
Would you do Strictly yourself, if you were asked? Never say never…. It would be something I’d consider but equally at the moment I’m in a different space and doing something which is true to my roots, but I can dance, ha ha. You’ve been busy launching your solo music – the single Sober which is a far cry from the JLS sound we’re used to. How’s it being received? The energy and love for Sober on social media is crazy, Sober has spread like wildfire on TikTok and socials racking up over 6 million views and engagement and it’s still growing, this for an independent artist like myself is super encouraging and exciting. I was asked to perform and open London Fashion Week and that was a huge moment in my solo career so far. I’m just having fun with my music and enjoying seeing how people react to it. I call my sound Afro Island , it’s a fusion of my African-Caribbean culture and heritage, I love seeing people vibe to my music, everything I’m about is feel good and I’m hoping people feel good when they vibe to my tunes.
Oritse, snapped at Zara Muse’s latest exhibition, says the love for his new solo single Sober is ‘crazy’
(Image: Grove Gallery)
The JLS star caught up with OK! at the artist’s exhibition Winds of Change
(Image: Grove Gallery)
Lastly, are you excited about what’s coming up for you? What should we be looking out for? My fans have been hitting me up nonstop on socials, asking when I’m dropping a solo album or announcing a solo tour, so I’ve been cooking up some exciting stuff for you all. I’m super hyped for everyone to hear what I’ve been working on, especially with some amazing artists I’ve collaborated with. I’m going to keep dropping solo tunes and the exclusive I can give you that I haven’t announced yet is that I’m launching my own exclusive Oritsé Williams debut merch collection. It’s all about giving the fans what they’ve been asking for, and I can’t wait to deliver it all! Zara Muse’s latest exhibition Winds of Change is at Grove Gallery www.grovegallery.com.Story SavedYou can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterCommentMore OnJB GillJLSStrictly Come DancingAmy DowdenAston Merrygold
