Sara Bailey talks to Union J heartthrob JJ Hamblett all about life after X Factor.

Embarking on their first UK tour, Union J exude charm and confidence, sending hearts aflutter across the country. Oh yes, they’re a boy band, and they plan on raising decibel levels across the land. X Factor has done it again!

Contestants in the 2012 series of the TV talent show, the band, formerly known as Triple J, initially consisted of JJ Hamblett, Josh Cuthbert and Jaymi Hensley, but were meshed with George Shelley at the cunning hands of Simon Cowell, to create the upgraded 2.0 version: Union J.

They fell short in X Factor, coming fourth, but that has failed to hold the lads back.

In the subsequent year they have done well, perhaps not quite reaching the status of One Direction, but probably exceeding the dreams of Mr Cowell. They released their hit single Carry You after appearing in the blockbuster Kick-Ass 2 playing teenage heartthrobs, weakening the knees of a shrieking tsunami of teenage desire in cinemas globally. And now they’re embarking on their first UK tour.

“It’s absolutely crazy” JJ gushes. “We saw the stage set up, and there was a massive emotional build up. It’s insane!”

Due to the gruelling process of X Factor, one might have thought a stage set would trigger sheer dread? But no, in their case: “X Factor was incredible,” he says.

“We were so lucky, and it’s amazing to think that while you’re performing in front of hundreds of people, behind the camera there are millions more watching.”

Undoubtedly, X Factor provides just that necessary push. It’s the service which grabs musical talent by the throat and thrusts them into the limelight, giving them an addictive taste of fame and the celebrity lifestyle. That said, does it also create that tough exterior, necessary for the survival of the fittest, which is usually forged from the strain of making it on your own? “It all comes down to being in the right place at the right time,” says JJ, a former jockey from horsey Newmarket, Suffolk.

“You can make it without, obviously, but it made a big difference to bands like One Direction,” he says.

And while they may have emerged from X Factor, let’s not discount the original Triple J connection, established through meeting at the Sylvia Young Theatre School in Westminster, and fuelled through a mutual desire to form a band.

“It’s all about finding your niche; your individual style,” continues JJ, and through careful grooming, and acquiring the right stylist, the band have developed a recognisable look.

And, says JJ, they each have their own role in the group: “George is the cute one,” he says, referring to his band mate’s Harry Styles-esque hair-do. “Jaymi is the mum, he organises everything, and Josh is always happy, he just loves life!” Yet despite their Hollywood appearance, they have yet to spread their boy band looks and irresistible British accents to break America. “We’d love to tour America,” he says. “It’s something that definitely interests us.”

For now though, embarking on their first UK tour is enough to keep them occupied. On Saturday the boys will be kicking off their tour at our very own New Theatre, casting their boy band allure on the tweenage girls of Oxford.

“It’s an amazing rush,” says JJ. “It really gets you going. We’re just so grateful to all our fans”.

His gratitude is spoken like every good celebrity keen to hold on to their fans. But surely there must come a point when boundaries are completely overwhelmed, where enough is enough? At 25, JJ is the eldest of the group, and has recently become a dad. What toll will his fame take on his new found parenthood? “Being away from the baby will be difficult, but like any job, there’s lots of work, and long hours are a part of that.

“Hopefully in the future the hard work will pay off, and give the baby a good life.” Luckily, their success hasn’t quite reached the breaking-down-the-garden-gate stage, and JJ is living proof that balancing family and fame is plausible.

“I suppose we’ll be together for as long as possible,” he says. “We’re all really close”.

The group is content, why wouldn’t they be?

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Union J play the New Theatre Oxford on Saturday. Tickets are £27.40-£32.40 plus £4 booking fee from atgtickets.com