Former Strictly Come Dancing star AJ Pritchard has shared his upset after suffering a career blow, saying: ‘I’m absolutely devastated, from every being in my body.’
From 2016 until 2019, AJ was a professional dancer on the BBC series, partnering up with celebrities including Mollie King and Saffron Barker.
Seven years on, the 31-year-old has been competing in the US on a programme called Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro, in a bid to join the pro line-up of the American version of Strictly.
During his stint in the competition, Oti Mabuse posted a TikTok video sharing her views on ‘AJ the person’ versus ‘AJ the professional’, after he was criticised over the ‘intense’ training techniques he employed while partnered up with another dancer.
Following the grand finale of the competition, judged by a panel including Strictly’s Shirley Ballas, AJ finished in second place behind the winner, 24-year-old Adele Zaikman.
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AJ described how ‘enriching’ it was for him to be partnered up with DWTS winner Charli D’Amelio in the final episode, before admitting how ‘devastated’ he felt about the result, Entertainment Weekly reported.
Earlier on in the show, DWTS dancer Rylee Arnold, who AJ had been partnered up with during the semi-final, claimed that he was too critical of her as a dancer.
‘At the beginning I felt that lightheartedness, but I will say, he’s kind of intense,’ she said while giving the judges feedback on what he was like to work with.
Mark Ballas, Shirley’s son and a judge on the programme, said to the camera in response: ‘I’m concerned with the AJ feedback.’
Rylee continued: ‘I don’t know if he’s going to be able to give affirmation to somebody. It was just constant critique.’
AJ’s fiancée Zara Zoffany called out Rylee in a social media comment, saying that he ‘would not have had to critique you in the first place if everything had been right’.
She later issued an apology for her comment on TikTok, while also calling out DWTS fans who’d been sending AJ ‘hate’, questioning his sexuality and giving him the ‘villain edit’.
I am sorry Rylee 🫶🏼 I know whatever I say, people will disagree, but I just want to put this to bed, take accountability, and move on & celebrate all the finalists in tonights show ! 🙏🏼❤️ (Side note: when i mention ‘you guys’ its only the people who contributed to the hateful comments about AJ)
