plans

HE gave up a promising career to become part of one of Britain’s biggest boybands – now JJ Hamblett is heading back to where it all started at 16.

The Union J star, 38, exclusively tells The Sun how he’s making a remarkable return to his first love, 15 years after he made it in the pop business – and reveals he will soon be back on stage with his former bandmates too in a hugely anticipated reunion.

JJ, who shot to fame with Union J after appearing on The X Factor in 2012, is returning to his roots as a champion jockey and has signed up for the Legends Race at Doncaster next month, where he’s set to go head-to-head with racing royalty, including Frankie Dettori.

And in the same breath, he’s revealed Union J are planning to mark their 15th anniversary next year with either a one-off show or a full tour – teasing a previously unreleased song that could finally see the group back in the studio.

Union J – completed by Jaymi Hensley Josh Cuthbert and George Shelley – went on to become one of the best-known bands to emerge from The X Factor, scoring hits including Carry You and Beautiful Life before eventually going their separate ways. JJ insists the four remain close.

He said: “We’re all kind of doing our separate things at the moment, but we always keep in touch. 

“They’re going to be brothers for life, and I know that sounds really corny, but without each other, and the success of Union J, we might not have had the opportunities we’ve had outside of the band.”

And fans may not have to wait much longer to see the boys back together. JJ revealed the group are already discussing plans for their 15th anniversary, with a tour his preferred option.

He said: “We did the London Palladium on the 10-year anniversary, which was such a pinch-me moment. 

“Next year we’re planning to do a tour or a one-off show. We haven’t decided yet, but I’m hoping it’s a tour, so it gives fans around the country the opportunity to get there. And hopefully festivals next year as well.”

And there’s even more exciting news for Union J fans – JJ teased that the group already have the perfect comeback song sitting in the vault, coming perilously close to giving away the title before catching himself.

He revealed: “There is one song. I can’t say what it is, but we were thinking about releasing it on the second album, and we didn’t. It fits lyrically so perfectly for us wanting to still do the band and missing being on stage together.”

He then began, “Will we [the band] ever…” before stopping himself and saying, “I can’t say the next two words, because if I say the next two words, sh**, it tells you the song. But it’s just a song that really fits us as a band, and us getting back together. I’m hoping we’re going to release that single.”

Before becoming a household name, JJ was a serious apprentice jockey in Newmarket, riding more than 250 times and even counting the late Queen among the famous names he rode for. Now, after around 15 years away from competitive riding, he’s caught the bug all over again.

He explained: “About seven or eight years ago, they asked me to do it, and obviously with the band, we were quite busy, and I just knew it wasn’t the right time.

“But then recently, in January, I moved back to Newmarket, which is the centre of racing. I thought about it, and I was like, ‘You know what? I’d love to give it another go, just race one final time.’”

His body, however, is not quite as enthusiastic about the comeback as he is. JJ has been riding out for top trainers John and Thady Gosden, and admits his first few days back in the saddle left him feeling every one of the years since his last race.

He said: “The first day, I thought they’ll put me on a trotter. And then they were like, ‘You’re going to canter up Warren Hill,’ which is a steep hill. And the next day, I was like an OAP. I couldn’t move.”

His partner, former champion jockey Hayley Turner, has been helping him prepare, while he’s been riding several days a week and hitting the gym.

But a fitness test with jockey Billy Loughnane proved just how much work he had ahead of him.

He admitted: “I was put through a fitness test with Billy Loughnane, who’s had an incredible season so far. And I was sick. I literally couldn’t do it. I was really, really struggling.”

JJ will find out whether the training has paid off at Doncaster on September 11, for the charity showpiece of the St Leger Festival, riding in aid of the Injured Jockeys Fund alongside his friend Frankie Dettori.

He said: “It’ll just be phenomenal. All the jockeys riding in it are great. And just to be able to be beside them and racing against them is something I never thought I’d be able to do again.”

The significance isn’t lost on JJ either – Doncaster is where his racing story began, when he was just 16.

He recalled: “Doncaster was the very first racecourse I rode at as a jockey. That was 23 years ago. I remember going up there with my dad, listening to Enigma blasting out, trying to get myself motivated for the ride. I felt fit, I was young, and I couldn’t feel my legs after. I literally fell off the horse. Now I’m 38, and they’re gonna be a lot worse.”

JJ never regretted leaving racing behind, though. He’d been struggling with the demands of keeping his weight down as a jockey and had always dreamed of singing and acting.

He explained: “I got to the point where I was struggling with my weight, and it became quite difficult for me. I’ve always loved singing and acting, and then just before the X Factor, I was riding out there in the mornings and I thought to myself, right, I want to give that a go. And we were very fortunate to have the success we did.”

Returning to racing has also reminded JJ how closely his two worlds have always been connected. Newmarket is a small community, and he remembers the Gosden yard watching Union J on The X Factor while he was still part of their world.

He added: “It’s so lovely that people are still asking me about the band, bringing up memories of watching us and following our journey.”

And JJ believes one thing links his two careers perfectly – the adrenaline.

He explained: “When jockeys stop race riding, they search for adrenaline. I was very fortunate to have that, you know – when we had a single out, or getting on stage at Wembley Stadium, it was just that adrenaline feel.”

His choice of pre-race music, though, has moved on rather a lot from his boyband days.

He said: “I’m really loving Sam Fender. And Fleetwood Mac, my favourite band – I’ll be listening to probably a Fleetwood Mac album on the way up there. And I’ll be, in the final furlong, singing Union J, going past the winning post first.”

And JJ is under no illusion he’ll be there simply to make up the numbers – the competitive instinct, he says, never really leaves a jockey.

He said: “Everyone in it is competitive – that’s the reason jockeys do what they do. The outcome you want is to be able to win it.”

But the race is ultimately about far more than JJ’s own comeback. The Legends meeting raises money for the Injured Jockeys Fund, a cause close to his heart after training at its facilities.

He said: “The main reason I’m taking part is to really push what they do out there. It’s an incredible charity for jockeys, retired and current, and I’ve looked at the setup they have and it’s amazing.”

With his racing comeback and Union J reunion both now on the horizon, JJ says he feels lucky to get a second shot at both passions that shaped his life.

He said: “I’ve always missed horse racing, and I’m just very, very happy and fortunate and lucky to have that chance again, to do it one final time.

“Thank you to the Union J fans – we wouldn’t be able to even think about doing the 15th anniversary without that continuous support over 15 years, and we’re gonna be putting on the biggest, best show or tour for you next year. So watch out.”

The Leger Legends Race will be available to stream on ITV on September 11th.

The foreign minister says in an interview that Turkish military officials had visited the airbase as part of training.

Syria has no plans to establish a Turkish military presence at the Abu al-Duhur airbase attacked by Israel earlier this week, Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani has said.

Al-Shaibani said in an interview with the US news outlet Axios on Wednesday that while Turkish military officials had visited the site as part of training and broader military cooperation, he denied any Turkish military build-up, explaining that the facility was largely empty.

Recommended Stories

list of 3 itemsend of list

“There was no intention to establish a Turkish base there, nor to establish a permanent Turkish military presence or deploy Turkish forces at the site,” al-Shaibani said, adding that he had made this clear to Israel.

On Tuesday, Israel carried out eight air strikes on the runway and storage facilities at the Abu al-Duhur base near Aleppo, state media reported, in what appeared to be Israel’s first attack on Syrian government assets since March.

No casualties were reported from the attack, which drew international condemnation.

Al-Shaibani said Israel had no legitimate justification for attacking the facility.

He said that while Syria remained open to negotiations with Israel on de-escalation, any future deal must address the security concerns of both countries, reiterating that Israeli military operations would increase regional instability.

The strikes came amid worsening security tensions between Israel and Turkiye over Syria, where both countries’ militaries are active.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel warned Syria ahead of the strike not to allow a Turkish presence at the base.

“Our message was very clear. Don’t. I guess they didn’t quite understand the message,” Netanyahu said on Wednesday.

On Thursday morning, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz claimed that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was “dragging Turkiye into dangerous adventures in Syria”.

“Israel will not allow any entity to threaten its security,” he said.

“It is preferable for Erdogan to continue delivering empty, delusional speeches against Israel in the Turkish parliament rather than testing Israel’s resolve to defend itself,” Katz added.

Turkiye has rejected what it called “untenable allegations” by Israel over its military position in Syria.

The Turkish defence ministry said on Thursday that Ankara would continue supporting Syria’s efforts to develop its own military capacity and infrastructure.

It said there was no military delegation at the air base hit by Israel before or during the attacks, calling for the international community to take more concrete and effective measures against Israel’s actions, which it said threatened regional peace and stability.

Turkiye, a NATO member, has emerged as one of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s main allies and has accused Israel of trying to destabilise Syria and undermine its new administration.

It has also repeatedly called for international pressure and measures on Israel to respect Syria’s territorial integrity.

Last year, Turkiye and Israel established a line of communication to avoid any incidents in Syria.

People at the United Airlines counter check-in at the main terminal at Washington Dulles International Airport in Dulles, Va., on July 30. President Donald Trump announced a $20 billion plan to rebuild and renovate the airport that includes terminal expansions and an underground U-shaped train to move travelers between terminals, eliminating the need for mobile lounges, or “people movers”, which have been in use since 1962. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo

Aug. 19 (UPI) — The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority on Wednesday approved a $15.5 billion budget for Dulles International Airport, setting the stage for renovations proposed by President Donald Trump.

The board approved the proposal for the Revitalizing Washington Dulles International Airport Project, an initiative launched by the Department of Transportation in December.

The approval includes $3.75 billion for new underground tunnels which will replace the airport’s shuttle system, the renovation of Concourses C and D, and $6.2 million for the reconstruction of the main terminal.

The project is slated to begin in late 2027.

Trump said during a briefing at the White House last month that more than 5 million square feet will be either new or renovated space at the airport. He called the airport in its current state “a terrible place to be.”

The president said in July that the estimated cost of the project is more than $20 billion.

About $14.2 billion of the funding will come from new bond issuances, $200 million from grants and $1.1 billion in Passenger Facility Charges: fees that travelers pay for using the airport.

New expenditures included in the budget amount to about $48 million, MWAA’s report says.

WASHINGTON — A federal district judge said Tuesday that paint tests on a 19th-century historic landmark building next to the White House can go ahead, advancing President Trump’s plans to add a new coat of white paint to the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, for now.

Trump has suggested the massive building be painted as part of his push to remake and beautify the nation’s capital. Planners said the paint job would cost at least $7.5 million.

The proposal to paint the building has alarmed preservationists, architects, historians and others who argue that granite is not meant to be painted and that paint would trap moisture and degrade the stone.

U.S. District Judge Dabney L. Friedrich said plaintiffs in an ongoing case had not shown that minimal tests planned for the historic building would cause irreparable harm if those tests go ahead.

The plaintiffs, which include cultural preservationist groups, had sought a restraining order and a temporary injunction to stop the Trump administration from conducting tests and other preparatory work.

At issue was whether that work would get ahead of a larger question before the court over whether the General Services Administration could delegate its authority for such a project to the Executive Office.

“The plaintiffs’ motion rises and falls on irreparable harm,” Friedrich said from the bench. The test areas would include about 8 square feet of the building’s massive exterior and several panels that can’t be seen by the public, she said.

Friedrich said that while she was allowing that test to move ahead, she would not hesitate to step in and rule if the administration moved beyond the limited testing. She asked the parties to provide a status report by next Tuesday and ordered regular reports following that.

Gregory Werkheiser, a lawyer with Cultural Heritage Partners and one of the plaintiffs, said that while he and others challenging the painting plan were disappointed, “the reasons we brought this case are untouched by today’s decision.”

The larger issue, he said, is whether “the president has taken power illegally from the GSA and put it in his office in terms of this project and the implications of that. If that holds true for historic properties around the country, that could be devastating.”

Fields writes for the Associated Press.