Alex Joseph Pritchard (born 5 November 1994) is a British dancer and choreographer. In 2013, he auditioned for the seventh series of Britain's Got Talent along with professional partner Chloe Hewitt, where they reached the semi-finals. From 2016 to 2019, Pritchard appeared as a professional dancer on the BBC One dance series Strictly Come Dancing. In 2020, he participated in the twentieth series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!
AJ Pritchard | |
|---|---|
| Born | Alex Joseph Pritchard 5 November 1994 Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England |
| Occupations |
|
| Known for | Strictly Come Dancing |
| Relatives | Curtis Pritchard (Brother) |
Early life
editPritchard was born on 5 November 1994[1] in Sneyd Green, Stoke-on-Trent.[2] He began dancing at the age of 12, and his parents partnered him with Chloe Hewitt from their dance school.[3] He has a younger brother, Curtis, a fellow dance professional, who appeared on Dancing with the Stars in Ireland.[4]
Career
editIn 2013, Pritchard and his professional dance partner Hewitt auditioned for Britain's Got Talent; the pair eventually reached the live semi-finals.[5] In September 2018, Pritchard took part in BBC's Celebrity MasterChef[6] leaving the show after his apple crumble infuriated the judges.[7]
In October 2018, he partnered with Louis Smith in the celebrity version of Hunted, in aid of Stand Up to Cancer.[8] In July 2019, it was announced that Pritchard, along with his brother Curtis, would appear as guest choreographers on the BBC Three reality series RuPaul's Drag Race UK.[9][10] In November 2020, it was announced that Pritchard would be contestant on the twentieth series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here. He became the seventh celebrity to be eliminated alongside Mo Farah on 2 December.[11] In February 2021, it was announced that Pritchard would be making his acting debut in the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, alongside his brother.[12] He portrayed the role of Marco; their acting abilities were the subject of widespread criticism.[13]
In October 2022, Pritchard was one of four finalists who completed series 4 of Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins.[14] In February 2023, he competed on the reality-competition series The Challenge UK.[15]
Strictly Come Dancing
editIn 2016, Pritchard appeared as a professional in the BBC dance show, Strictly Come Dancing for its fourteenth series.[16][17] He was partnered with Olympic artistic gymnast Claudia Fragapane. They were eliminated in the semi-finals on 11 December 2016, finishing in 4th place overall. In his first series, Pritchard received praise for his innovative choreography.[18]
Pritchard returned to Strictly the following year for his second series, and was partnered with Mollie King, a singer and former member of girl group The Saturdays.[19] The pair made it to week 12, being knocked out at the semi-final stage and finishing in 5th place overall. In his third series in 2018, he was partnered with British Paralympic athlete Lauren Steadman. They were eliminated at the semi-final stage, finishing in 5th place, in Pritchard's third consecutive semi-final elimination.[19]
In March 2019, Pritchard was confirmed to be returning to Strictly for his fourth series. In September 2019. it was revealed that he would partner vlogger Saffron Barker. They were eliminated on week 10, making this the first and only series where Pritchard failed to reach the semi-final.[20] Despite being confirmed in the 2020 professional line-up, on 26 March 2020, Pritchard announced that he was leaving the show in order to pursue a career in presenting.[21]
Highest and Lowest Scoring Per Dance
| Dance | Partner | Highest | Partner | Lowest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Smooth | Claudia Fragapane | 36 | Mollie King | 30 |
| Argentine Tango | Claudia Fragapane | 36 | Lauren Steadman | 25 |
| Cha-cha-cha | Claudia Fragapane | 28 | Lauren Steadman | 20 |
| Charleston | Claudia Fragapane | 36 | Lauren Steadman | 22 |
| Couple's Choice | Saffron Barker | 33 | Lauren Steadman | 24 |
| Foxtrot | Saffron Barker | 38 | Mollie King | 27 |
| Jive | Claudia Fragapane | 36 | Mollie King | 23 |
| Paso Doble | Claudia Fragapane | 33 | Mollie King | 22 |
| Quickstep | Claudia Fragapane | 38 | Lauren Steadman | 25 |
| Rumba | Claudia Fragapane | 35 | Mollie King | 31 |
| Salsa | Claudia Fragapane | 37 | Lauren Steadman | 23 |
| Samba | Claudia Fragapane | 32 | Lauren Steadman | 23 |
| Showdance | ||||
| Tango | Lauren Steadman | 31 | Mollie King | 25 |
| Viennese Waltz | Claudia Fragapane | 36 | Mollie King | 24 |
| Waltz | Saffron Barker | 39 | Lauren Steadman | 25 |
Claudia Fragapane
editHe partnered Olympic artistic gymnast Claudia Fragapane for the fourteenth season of Strictly Come Dancing.
| Week № | Dance / Song | Judges' scores | Score | Result | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revel Horwood | Bussell | Goodman | Tonioli | ||||
| 1 | Cha-Cha-Cha / "What Makes You Beautiful" | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 | No Elimination |
| 2 | Waltz / "You Light Up My Life" | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 | Safe |
| 3 | Charleston / "You Give a Little Love" | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 36 | Safe |
| 4 | Foxtrot / "I Really Like You" | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 30 | Safe |
| 5 | Samba/ "Young Hearts Run Free" | 8 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 32 | Safe |
| 6 | American Smooth / "Black Magic" | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 36 | Safe |
| 7 | Paso Doble / "Shut Up and Dance" | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 33 | Safe |
| 8 | Viennese Waltz / "Breakaway" | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 36 | Safe |
| 9 | Jive / "Mickey" | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 36 | Bottom two |
| 10 | Argentine Tango / "Cry Me a River" | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 36 | Safe |
| Cha-cha-cha Challenge /" I Like It Like That" | Awarded 3 extra points | 39 | |||||
| 11 | Salsa / "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 37 | Safe |
| 12 | Rumba / "Bleeding Love" | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 35 | Eliminated |
| Quickstep /" When You're Smiling" | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 38 | ||
Mollie King
editFor the fifteenth season of Strictly Come Dancing he partnered English singer-songwriter, presenter and model Mollie King.
| Week № | Dance / Song | Judges' scores | Result | Score | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revel Horwood | Bussell | Ballas | Tonioli | ||||
| 1 | Jive / "Good Golly, Miss Molly" | 4 | 6 | 7 | 6 | No Elimination | 23 |
| 2 | Tango / "Addicted to Love" | 4 | 6 | 8 | 7 | Safe | 25 |
| 3 | American Smooth / "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | Safe | 30 |
| 4 | Salsa / "Súbeme la Radio" | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | Safe | 27 |
| 5 | Viennese Waltz / "Anyone Who Had a Heart" | 8 | 8 | 8 | – | Safe | 24 |
| 6 | Cha-Cha-Cha / "Better the Devil You Know" | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | Bottom two | 27 |
| 7 | Foxtrot / "Call Me Irresponsible" | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | Bottom two | 27 |
| 8 | Paso Doble / "Layla" | 5 | 6 | 6 | 5 | Safe | 22 |
| 9 | Charleston / "Wings" | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | Safe | 29 |
| 10 | Quickstep / "Umbrella" | 7 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Safe | 31 |
| Paso Doble-thon | Awarded 2 extra points | 33 | |||||
| 11 | Rumba / "Hopelessly Devoted to You" | 6 | 7 | 9 | 9 | Safe | 31 |
| 12 | Samba / "Whenever, Wherever" | 4 | 7 | 7 | 6 | Eliminated | 24 |
| Waltz / "Angel" | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 32 | ||
Lauren Steadman
editHe partnered British Paralympic athlete Lauren Steadman for the sixteenth season of Strictly Come Dancing.
| Week № | Dance / Song | Judges' scores | Result | Score | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revel Horwood | Bussell | Ballas | Tonioli | ||||
| 1 | Waltz / "Kissing You" | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | No Elimination | 25 |
| 2 | Charleston / "New Rules" | 5 | 6 | 5 | 6 | Safe | 22 |
| 3 | Cha-Cha-Cha / "Fame" | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 | Safe | 20 |
| 4 | Quickstep / "If You're Over Me" | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | Safe | 25 |
| 5 | Couples Choice: Contemporary / "Runnin'" | 4 | 6 | 7 | 7* | Safe | 24 |
| 6 | Paso Doble / "Poison" | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | Safe | 29 |
| 7 | Jive / "Girlfriend" | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | Safe | 31 |
| 8 | Viennese Waltz / "You Are the Reason" | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | Safe | 34 |
| 9 | Argentine Tango / "River" | 5 | 6 | 7 | 7 | Safe | 25 |
| 10 | Salsa / "Familiar" | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | Safe | 23 |
| Lindy Hop-thon / "Do Your Thing" | Awarded 1 extra point | 24 | |||||
| 11 | American Smooth / "I'm in Love with a Wonderful Guy" | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | Safe | 35 |
| 12 | Tango / "Nutbush City Limits" | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | Eliminated | 31 |
| Samba / "Rock the Boat" | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 23 | ||
- Score was awarded by guest judge Alfonso Ribeiro
Saffron Barker
editHe partnered television presenter YouTube personality and author Saffron Barker for the seventeenth season of Strictly Come Dancing. They were eliminated in week 10, coming sixth.
| Week № | Dance / Song | Judges' scores | Result | Score | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revel Horwood | Mabuse | Ballas | Tonioli | ||||
| 1 | Tango / "Lips Are Movin" | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | No Elimination | 27 |
| 2 | Cha-Cha-Cha / "One Touch" | 5 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Safe | 23 |
| 3 | Paso Doble / "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | Safe | 28 |
| 4 | Contemporary / "Because You Loved Me" | 7 | 8 | 9 | 9 | Safe | 33 |
| 5 | Foxtrot / "Theme From New York, New York" | 9 | 10 | 9 | 10* | Safe | 38 |
| 6 | Jive / "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | Safe | 33 |
| 7 | Salsa / "Instruction" | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | Safe | 27 |
| 8 | Waltz / "Your Song" | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | Safe | 39 |
| 9 | Quickstep / "I Went to a Marvellous Party" | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | Bottom Two | 35 |
| 10 | Samba / "Walking on Sunshine" | 5 | 7 | 7 | 7 | Eliminated | 26 |
- Score was awarded by guest judge Alfonso Ribeiro
Personal life
editPritchard has OCD[22] and dyslexia,[23] and is colour blind.[24] On 27 December 2018, Pritchard and his brother Curtis, along with two others, were attacked in an "unprovoked assault" on a night out in Nantwich. Pritchard suffered bruising to his face, arms, legs and body.[25]
In 2018 Pritchard was featured in a photo-shoot in the October issue of gay magazine Attitude.[26]
References
edit- ^ "AJ.Chloe European, British Open, National & United Kingdom Champions". ajchloe.com. Archived from the original on 1 October 2016. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
- ^ "North Staffordshire dancer's Strictly partner announced". Stoke Sentinel. 3 September 2016. Retrieved 26 September 2016.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "AJ and Curtis Pritchard's mum speaks out about the brothers' nightclub attack". The Sentinel. Archived from the original on 17 March 2021. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
- ^ "Curtis & Emily – Pritchards' Dance and Fitness". dancepdf.co.uk. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
- ^ "AJ Pritchard on I'm a Celebrity: Everything you need to know about the Strictly Come Dancing star". The Independent. Archived from the original on 17 February 2021. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
- ^ "Meet the five famous faces on tonight's Celebrity MasterChef". 13 September 2018. Archived from the original on 15 September 2018. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
- ^ Daly, Helen (21 September 2018). "Celebrity MasterChef 2018: AJ Pritchard sparks fan outrage as BBC viewers spot THIS". Express.co.uk. Archived from the original on 5 January 2019. Retrieved 29 December 2018.
- ^ "Who are the stars of Celebrity Hunted 2018?". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 31 March 2021. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
- ^ Miller, Adam (24 July 2019). "Love Island's Curtis Pritchard confirmed for RuPaul's Drag Race UK - seriously". Archived from the original on 26 July 2019. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
- ^ "Love Island's Curtis Pritchard joins Ru Paul's Drag Race as guest judge". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 26 July 2019. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
- ^ "AJ and Curtis Pritchard to join Hollyoaks as twin brothers in first acting role". Daily Mirror. 7 February 2021. Archived from the original on 7 February 2021. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
- ^ "AJ and Curtis Pritchard to join Hollyoaks as twin brothers in first acting role". Daily Mirror. 7 February 2021. Archived from the original on 7 February 2021. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
- ^ Anderton, Joe (24 May 2021). "AJ and Curtis Pritchard respond to backlash over their acting in Hollyoaks appearance". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
- ^ "Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins 2022 reveals winners". radiotimes.com. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
- ^ Cartmill, Claire. "The Challenge UK is a sporting fight for £100,000". News Letter. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
- ^ "Three more new pro-dancers for 2016". Strictly Come Dancing. 26 July 2016. Archived from the original on 18 September 2016. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
- ^ "Strictly Come Dancing 2016: show announces new young professionals...and they've previously been on Britain's Got Talent". The Telegraph. 26 July 2016. Archived from the original on 27 September 2016. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
- ^ Patterson, Michael (21 December 2016). "Why Claudia & AJ Are The Real Winners of BBC's 'Strictly Come Dancing' 2016". moviepilot.com. Archived from the original on 6 January 2017. Retrieved 5 January 2017.
- ^ a b "Meet I'm a Celebrity's AJ Pritchard - 2020 contestant and Strictly Come Dancing pro". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 31 March 2021. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
- ^ "BBC One - Strictly Come Dancing - AJ Pritchard". BBC. Archived from the original on 21 June 2019. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
- ^ Daly, Helen (26 March 2020). "AJ Pritchard quits BBC show – here's why". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 27 March 2020. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
- ^ "AJ Pritchard reveals OCD struggle". Female First. Archived from the original on 8 December 2020. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
- ^ "Curtis and AJ Pritchard reveal struggles with dyslexia growing up and being left anxious". OK!. Archived from the original on 15 October 2020. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
- ^ "Richard Osman's House of Games - Series 5: Week 16: Thursday: Time index: 10:27". BBC iPlayer.
- ^ "Strictly star AJ Pritchard and dancer brother Curtis injured in 'unprovoked' attack". Sky News. Archived from the original on 6 August 2020. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
- ^ Stroude, Will (5 November 2018). "Relive 'Strictly Come Dancing' pro AJ Pritchard's Attitude shoot in full (PICS)". attitude.co.uk. Retrieved 30 December 2022.