Since making their big break on 2012’s X Factor, Union J have been busy making smash hits, Hollywood films and even their very own dolls. With the much awaited second album set for release in the coming weeks and a big Liverpool performance at this year’s forthcoming Radio City Christmas Live concert, we had a chat with member JJ Hamblett to talk all things Union J!

In a few weeks you’re releasing your second album. Are you excited?

Really excited yes! This is our second album and we’ve written 50% of it, so it’s been a little bit kind of more us this year. We’re really excited and so proud of this album and hopefully everyone else will be too!

Do you share the writing between the four of you? How does it work?

Yes we do. We just go into the studio two at a time which is a good way to do it, but we all get a chance to write.

You guys have really been involved with charity work since you formed as four-piece. What’s been your favourite event?

Ahhh! That’s a really difficult question, it’s really difficult. I think it would definitely have to be the Pride of Britain awards. Going to that is so emotional but amazing because for once it’s not just celebrities getting recognition. It’s for the general public who have actually done stuff behind the scenes. They’ve done some amazing charity work, so it’s great for them to get the recognition they deserve.

Have you been tuning in to this year’s series of X factor? Who is your favourite to win?

I have yes! Do you know what, it’s very difficult but I think at the moment Fleur East is really standing out. I think it’s still quite difficult to decide but in the next couple of weeks someone will really stand out as a clear winner. I’m backing Fleur!

You’re going to be performing at the Radio City Christmas Live concert with the likes of 5 Seconds of Summer and the Saturdays. Is there a rivalry between you and other boy bands like 5 Seconds of Summer?

Yes, we are coming to Liverpool! No, there isn’t any rivalry – we love the boys! We’re also touring with The Vamps next year and they’re featuring on our new song, ‘You Got It All’. We don’t see it like that. We feel like we’re different enough from everyone else anyway, especially on this album. I think people will recognise us as a totally different band to anyone out there, so I think it is fine. It’s good to support each other as well – we wouldn’t want it to get nasty!

You featured in Kick-Ass 2 as yourselves. How was that? Would any of you like to go into acting?

To be in a Hollywood film is amazing. We were huge fans of the first one so when we got asked to be in it, it was crazy. And yes, I would love to go into acting and in fact, it was my dream before the band. I’d love to act so if I wasn’t in Union J I’d still be chasing that dream.

So you’d be on the big screen if you weren’t in the band! What would the other guys be doing?

Well, I used to be a jockey before the band so I think I’d still be working with race horses as well. As for what the other boys would be doing, Jaymi… I don’t know what Jaymi would be doing, working in a theatre probably. I think Josh would be working in his last job which was in an office and George would be at Costa coffee!

You have a very loyal group of fans. How does it feel to be able to tweet something and see it receive thousands of favourites? Do you have competitions between you to see who can get the most retweets or favourites?

It’s amazing! It’s just great to know that we’ve got such a strong fan base and it really shows on social networking sites. Having Twitter and things like that is a great way to get people involved on the other side of the world. Twitter is an amazing thing to have and we’re very lucky to have come into the industry at 100% the right time for it. We don’t really have any competitions. It’s great to see that when you do tweet something you get a couple of thousand retweets. We’re very lucky to have that level of support!

You have your own dolls. What do you think of them and who has the most/least realistic doll?

I think the dolls are absolutely incredible. Vivid did such an amazing job, they’re so good. I couldn’t say that any of them don’t look like us but Jaymi has changed his hair dramatically since the doll came out. He was blonde but he’s changed it a lot, shaving it and doing all kinds of different stuff to it so, at this present moment, he probably looks the most different to his doll. I think George’s doll is great but to be honest all of them are really realistic – bar Jaymi’s hair!

Catch Union J’s Radio City Christmas Live performance at Echo Arena Liverpool on 10 December. For tickets, visit www.echoarena.com

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