James "Jay" McGuiness (born 24 July 1990) is a British singer, songwriter, actor and author best known as a vocalist with boy band The Wanted.

In 2022 McGuiness took the lead role of Bob Wallace in the touring musical version of the classic movie White Christmas.

[citation needed] From the age of 12, he pursued his love of performing by attending the Charlotte Hamilton School of Dance in Newark.

As his love for the performing arts grew he attended the prestigious Midlands Academy of Dance and Drama in Carlton near Nottingham.

In week 6, he danced an American Smooth to "Li'l Red Riding Hood" by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs and scored 34, putting him in second place by only one point.

[11] He played Josh Baskin, the character made famous by Hanks, and co starred with Kimberley Walsh, Matthew Kelly, and Wendi Peters.

In October 2018 McGuiness appeared at the London Palladium in the show Rip it Up the 60s, alongside Harry Judd, Aston Merrygold and Louis Smith.

Also in 2022, he took part in and won Richard Osman's House of Games on BBC television, following a tense daily battle with fellow contestant Bobby Seagull.