Pop star JB Gill and his wife Chloe explain why they left city life behind to live on a farm and their new partnership with Barbour
JB Gill may be best-known as a member of pop band JLS, but he’s miles away (literally) from the city-loving, chart-topping life he used to lead. Today, JB, his wife Chloe and their children, Ace and Chiara, can be found on their farm in Kent, revelling in the peace and tranquility of rural life.
The couple both grew up with the great outdoors at their fingertips, so they decided that they wanted the same for their children – and haven’t looked back since moving to their farm more than a decade ago. Here, we talk to them all about the realities of farming life, what they hope their children learn from living on a farm, and their new and exclusive collaboration with Barbour.
‘The countryside immediately felt like home,’ JB Gill says of his family’s move from city life to farm life. ‘We love the peace and tranquility that comes with being on the farm,’ Chloe agrees. ‘Life can be hectic and always on the go, so we wanted our moments of rest to be in a place that was quiet and peaceful.’ The couple, who are the faces of Barbour’s new campaign, have made a name for themselves in the farming community, thanks to their BAFTA-nominated CBeebies series Down on The Farm (which has often been described as a junior Countryfile).
From the outset, JB and Chloe were keen to get properly stuck into farming life – no gentleman or gentlewoman farmers here. And they’re not just throwing buzzwords around to be fashionable or of-the-moment, either. The farm is their life and livelihood, and they believe in creating a sustainable future for their children and the generations to come – which is why they were the perfect fit for Barbour.
‘We have a saying in our family: “everything in moderation, including moderation”,’ Chloe explains. ‘We believe that everything in life should be sustainable and that – as a society – it should be our duty to enjoy the world, but also preserve that same enjoyment for future generations. We want to pass the love and respect that we have for our world on to our children, and beyond.’ For Barbour, who place heritage and respect for the land at the forefront of their brand, this message is incredibly important.
So, what was it that drew them to Barbour, and vice versa? JB, Chloe, Ace and Chiara are the latest in a line of carefully-chosen families to lend their approval to the much-loved British brand (you might remember the Fogle family doing the same last year). The Gills are well-known and well-respected, plus they’re genuine fans of the brand, so the fit is perfect. And for the family, it was a no brainer, too.
‘Barbour is at the heart of our family,’ Chloe explains. ‘Forming this partnership is something that we’ve dreamt of doing – we love the brand and truly wear it in our everyday lives. We can’t wait for others to see us representing this brand. It’s something we’re incredibly proud of.’
Their favourites from the collection are hard to pick, but they both have a strong affinity with the shackets. ‘What I love about the shacket is that it’s thick enough to wear as a shirt during the colder weather, and light enough to wear as a jacket in the evening during the summer,’ explains JB.
And for Chloe, the women’s blue shacket is a piece she can’t imagine life without. ‘I fell in love with the women’s blue shacket,’ she explains. ‘I love an oversized top styled with jeans, it’s the perfect look. I also have to mention the boots, which I genuinely wear every day. I don’t leave the house without them!’
Barbour's new collection is out now.
