All of the stars taking part in this year’s series of Strictly Come Dancing have now been announced, which means it’s time to take a closer look at some of the celebrity contestants.
The new Strictly line-up has names from all walks of life and backgrounds, but one of the most intriguing and inspiring back stories is that of JJ Chalmers.
John James “JJ’” Chalmers is a 33-year-old TV presenter and Invictus Games competitor, who grew up in Renton, Scotland.
He was previously part of the Royal Marines and later went on to have a sporting career, before breaking into broadcasting (seriously, is there anything this man can’t do?).
Ahead of his dancefloor debut, now’s your chance to get to know JJ a little better...
Long before he was on our screens, JJ was a member of the Royal Marines
JJ was deployed to Afghanistan while serving as a Royal Marine Commando. However his military career was cut short after he sustained life-changing injuries following an IED explosion in 2011.
His whole body was affected in the blast leading him to undergo at least 30 surgeries. JJ lost two of his fingers, sustained holes in his legs, suffered scars on his face and chest and at one point even had one arm temporarily grafted to his body.
JJ says it’s his wife who pulled him through the dark times
He often credits his wife, Kornelia Chitsurko, for supporting him through his rehabilitation process.
Speaking to Joe.co.uk as part of their Boy’s Don’t Cry feature, he said: “It was my girlfriend, when I woke up in a hospital bed, who dragged me through all this nonsense. I wouldn’t be here without her.”
Kornelia and JJ married in 2015, and have a daughter together called Hayley.
Oh, and no big deal, but he’s apparently besties with Prince Harry
JJ is a close friend of Prince Harry and was even among the guests at his 2018 royal wedding to Meghan Markle.
Talking about his pals wedding to The Mirror, JJ said: “I’m just happy my friend is settling down with somebody. So many of our other friends are all settled down and have kids, so he needs to catch up.”
It was actually Prince Harry who persuaded him to take part in the Invictus Games in the first place, where he later won three medals.
What’s that about the Invictus Games?
After rehabilitating, JJ went on to compete in a cycling event in the 2014 Invictus Games in the Netherlands, bringing home three medals.
Following his involvement in the Invictus Games, JJ began a successful television career, bagging some impressive presenting gigs.
From covering the Rio Paralympics to anchoring the Invictus Games since 2017, and presenting highlights for BBC Sports during The Commonwealth Games and The London Marathon, JJ has shown he can handle just about anything.
He now faces his next life challenge by taking on the Strictly dancefloor
JJ’s entry into the Strictly line up was announced on Lorraine where he talked about his love of the glitz and glamour of the show, admitting he was planning to fully “immerse myself in this process” and was ready to “go the whole hog with costumes and glitter”.
“My whole life is defined by facing challenges,” he later said. “Whether it’s becoming a Royal Marine Commando, recovering from my injuries sustained in Afghanistan to competing in The Invictus Games.”
We look forward to seeing him swap his boots for dance shoes and overcoming any dance challenge that comes his way!
Strictly Come Dancing returns to our screens later in the autumn.