Welcome to our CelebMix Crush series. Here, you’ll find a number of profiles of our favourite celebrities with some fun facts, photos, and reasons that make us love them so much. You’ll see your favourites in music, film, television, fashion, and those who just have general ‘star power’ – there are plenty to be admired. They’ll be talented, passionate, kind, and of course – easy on the eyes.
WHO
Jay McGuiness first won our hearts as one fifth of successful boyband The Wanted who reached the UK number one spot with “All Time Low” and “Glad You Came”. As well as this, the band broke America and got their own TV show The Wanted Life. They also won a Peoples Choice award in 2013 for “Best Breakout Artist” after the dedication of their loyal fans.
Since the band announced their hiatus in 2014 Jay has gone from strength to strength. He initially took a year out of the limelight before signing up for Strictly Come Dancing. Jay was partnered with professional dancer Aliona Vilani and wowed everyone week after week. The pair made their mark in the competition in week three with their Pulp Fiction inspired jive. They also avoided the dance off all series, and after thirteen weeks, won the glitter ball. The show toured the UK in early 2016, and audiences voted Jay and Aliona the winners 24 times out of 30.
Jay then went on to do some presenting work at Fusion Festival before landing a role in Big The Musical. He plays the lead alongside Diana Vickers, Gary Wilmot and Jessica Martin. So far, the musical has toured at Plymouth and Dublin.
WHY
Where do we start? Jay has a heart of gold and his sweet, caring personality shines through at every opportunity. The man is also a triple threat – he can sing, dance and act! What more could we ask for!? Well there just happens to be a whole list of reasons why we love the blue eyed, avatar loving vegetarian. Here are some of our favourites:
His hugs! Anyone who has met Jay will know why we have chosen this. That moment when he wraps his arms around you and all you can feel is his warmth – heaven.
Another reason we love Jay is his involvement with charities. In 2014, he became a patron of the Children’s Bereavement Centre in his hometown Nottingham. The centre currently has a fundraiser running set up by fans Amelia and Rachel where a pair of custom hand painted shoes can be won.
Also, Jay is known for his signature curls which grew long, before his appearance on Strictly. After cutting his hair in week two, he donated seven inches to the Little Princess Trust. This is a charity which helps children who have lost hair due to cancer or alopecia.
Jay has always been an inspiration to his fans, telling us that “Success is the best form of revenge”. He co-wrote the song “I’ll Be Your Strength” which taught us not to give up no matter what we were going through. Also, The Wanted were always known for giving as much back to the fans as possible and even now Jay does this by taking time to meet his fans after shows, the most recent example being at stage door at Big The Musical. If this hasn’t been enough to convince you, then just watch the video below:
Fans of Jay will know how funny he is, just by reading his tweets or watching him in interviews. Remember the time he accidentally kneed a young girl in the face whilst out buying a TV? Or how about the countless times he lost his phone over the years. His jokes and comments are also priceless – “Individually we’re all stupid but as a group we’re like ants”.
Jay has the voice of an angel. We got to hear a solo from Jay in pretty much every song from The Wanted. However, he really got the chance to shine on a beautiful ballad “High and Low” from the bands first album. His soft vocals along with the harmonies from Nathan, Tom, Max and Siva made our hearts melt. His vocals on “Heart Vacancy” and “Say It on the Radio” also stood out, and have become fan favourites over the years. In his latest appearance in Big The Musical Jay gets a number of solos and feature moments.
HEART EYES
Here are some of our favorite dance numbers by Jay.
- Jive – this dance went down in history as one of the best ever on the show. The chances are you’ve already had it on repeat – we know we have – but watching it again can’t hurt. Flawless!
- Charleston – Jay played the character of “The Doctor” perfectly here. His footwork was also on top form with plenty of swivel to keep the judges happy.
- Salsa – Jay lit up the tower ballroom in Blackpool with this number. His flirting with Aliona throughout the dance and his sexy hip movements made us love him even more.
- Rumba – historically one of the hardest dances for the male celebrities to learn. However, Jay made this beautiful number look effortless and it became one of his highest scoring dances.
- Showdance – a simple yet elegant number showcasing elements of each dance the couple had previously danced. Jay said afterwards that he would not have wanted a single step different.
- Tango – this passionate dance set the dancefloor on fire and Jay and Aliona were in sync throughout.
- Paso Doble – this dance was full of passion and the couple chose it as their favourite dance from the series, performing it again in the final.
Jay excels at everything he does and we cannot wait to see what the future has in store for him.
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