Strictly Come Dancing star AJ Pritchard broke down in tears as he revealed that he postponed his wedding in order to continue competing for a spot on Dancing With The Stars.
Pritchard is currently a contestant on The Next Pro – a reality competition where the winner is given a place in the cast of the American version of Strictly Come Dancing.
The 31-year-old left the British programme in 2020 following a four-year stint as a pro. He exited the series to pursue television presenting opportunities with his brother Curtis, who rose to fame on the 2019 series of Love Island.
Pritchard spoke about the intense pressure of The Next Pro in a recent episode of the series. “Just like the stress and exhaustion, especially when you do a routine and just want it to be perfect,” he said. “For years and years, I’ve wanted this and I don’t want to go home.”
His fellow contestant Nina Mayster assured him, stating: “It’s not going to happen. Stop it. Don’t even think like that.”
Speaking to the camera, Pritchard added: “I put myself under maybe too much pressure. Because I want to show how much this means to me.”
open image in gallery“I’ve sacrificed so much to be here and do this,” he said, revealing that he has delayed his wedding so he can continue in the competition.
“It’s overwhelming when I actually think about the lengths I’ve gone to,” Pritchard said. “To not achieve what I’ve given up everything for would just be so disappointing.”
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Pritchard did not specify when his wedding was originally meant to take place or when it had been rescheduled for. He proposed to his fiancée Zara Zoffany last June, two years into their relationship.
“Somehow you reached a part of my soul I didn’t know was waiting for you,” Pritchard said in an announcement at the time. “Blink, I can’t wait to spend forever loving you.”
Since exiting Strictly in 2020, Pritchard has pursued a television career, featuring on episodes of Celebrity Masterchef, Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Win, and I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!
The TV personality has since also been vocal with his Strictly opinions, saying last year that he wants to see more UK professionals within the currently international cast as he’s “proud to be British”. The returning cast of 2026 features dancers from Australia, Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Slovenia, China, America and Italy as well as the UK.
open image in galleryStrictly judge Oti Mabuse revealed that Pritchard “rubbed people up the wrong way” with his comments about the show. “That guy is so controversial. It’s so funny,” she said on TikTok in July.
Mabuse added that Strictly is a global brand, and that its international mix of professional dancers is what makes the show “beautiful and special”.
“He’s gone off and left the biggest brand and just been really horrible about it,” she said. “He left and he decided, maybe now I’ve matured and grown and I want another opportunity. Maybe his personality may be a little more palatable there [in the US].”
Despite Pritchard having said that he wants more British dancers on the British show, Mabuse said that as a Brit, he has every right to try for a spot on its American counterpart – and that many dancers move between versions of Strictly.
“I just feel some sort of way about being angry at people for their goals. Do I agree with what he said? No, but I don’t think he should be stopped,” she said.
The Next Pro is expected to air its finale on 31 August, when viewers will learn who has won the coveted spot on Dancing with the Stars.