AJ Pritchard ‘facing secret crisis’ after Strictly backlash and career setback

Former Strictly Come Dancing star AJ Pritchard is said to be in ‘crisis’ behind the scenes after narrowly losing out on his chance at US stardom.

The professional dancer recently competed on Dancing With The Stars: The Next Pro, hoping to join the American show’s roster of pros after his stint on Strictly from 2016 to 2019.

While he came within touching distance of victory, AJ, 31, ultimately finished second, while Adele Zaikman was declared the winner.

Still, AJ was a major talking point throughout the series due to controversial comments he made about wanting to see ‘more British dancers’ on Strictly, plus his conflict with fellow ballroom dancer Rylee Arnold, who called his teaching methods ‘intense’.

Consequently, he was criticised by the likes of Oti Mabuse, who branded him ‘controversial’ and claimed it would be ‘hard for him to come back from this’.

Now, sources have said AJ’s career has taken a knock, and despite not landing the opportunity to feature on DWTS, it’s unlikely he’ll be invited back to Strictly either.

‘AJ has put a lot of noses out of joint back at Strictly,’ an insider told The Sun.

‘It’s extremely unlikely he will ever be asked to return, and he is not popular in the pro dance community back here.’

After AJ argued it is ‘upsetting’ not to have more British pros on Strictly to ‘support the country that we are proud to be’, he reportedly ruffled feathers among former co-stars, as Venezuelan pro Karen Hauer called the remarks ‘low’.

As a result, there are people who ‘feel he’s bitten the hand that fed him’.

‘He was part of the Strictly family for years, so his comments were always going to get people talking. It leaves him in a very difficult position.’

The source added that there’s now a ‘question mark’ over where AJ goes next, with opportunities reportedly ‘drying up’.

It’s said he viewed DWTS as ‘a fresh start’ following stints on Celebrity MasterChef, Hunted, I’m A Celebrity, and Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins. He and brother Curtis were also once guest choreographers on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK and famously became memes with their Hollyoaks acting.

So, it’s fair to say he’s completed reality TV, but he’s since ‘potentially found himself with fewer doors open than before’.

The source acknowledged such ‘irony’, since AJ boldly claimed ‘British dancers deserved more opportunities while simultaneously trying to win one of the biggest opportunities available to dancers in America’.

‘Getting to the final of The Next Pro was a huge achievement, but ultimately he didn’t get the prize he was chasing. That was supposed to be his route into Dancing with the Stars, and now that door has closed.’

AJ is now ‘somewhat isolated from the Strictly circle’, and repairing bridges might be a tough task.

‘Rebuilding those relationships won’t be easy – in fact, it’ll be quite impossible.’

AJ had told his fellow competitors on The Next Pro that he delayed his wedding to Zara Zoffany so he could take part, having popped the question last July.

‘It’s overwhelming when I actually think about the lengths I’ve gone to,’ he said through tears in one emotional scene while being comforted.

‘To not achieve what I’ve given up everything for would just be so disappointing.’

Ahead of the finale, AJ said in a TikTok video that he’d had ‘so much fun’ on the programme, saying dancing is about ‘having fun, spreading joy, and just going out there and leaving a lasting memory and a smile on everybody’s face’.

And upon finishing as a runner-up, he told Entertainment Weekly that he relished the ‘opportunity to dance in the finale’ with season 31 winner and TikTok star Charli D’Amelio, while admitting the loss was hard to take.

‘Obviously, I’m absolutely devastated from every being in my body.’

Reps for AJ Pritchard have been contacted for comment.

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