Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro runner-up AJ Pritchard has drawn backlash for his new gig on GB News in the UK. Fans are criticizing his presenting style, as well as his involvement with a right-wing organization.
AJ Pritchard Draws Backlash for Presenting Gig
Former Strictly Come Dancing pro AJ Pritchard competed on DWTS: The Next Pro earlier this year, hoping to earn a spot as a pro on Dancing with the Stars. He finished in second place behind winner Adele Zaikman.
Since the show, Pritchard has landed a new gig as a presenter on GB News. Over the weekend, he made his debut on The Saturday Five show, presenting a segment on shoplifting. As he said, “This isn’t about someone just stealing a sandwich – it’s about what happens when we allow thousands and thousands of supposedly small crimes to become, well, normal.”
Fans online had plenty to say about Pritchard’s stiff presenting style, with some referencing him and his brother Curtis Pritchard’s much-mocked appearance on the soap opera Hollyoaks. As one user on X (formerly Twitter) wrote, “If you didn’t think anything AJ Pritchard did could be worse than his acting, allow me to introduce you to his segment on GB News.”
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Fans Take Issue with GB News’ Politics
Fans weren’t just disappointed by Pritchard’s style of presenting; they also took issue with GB News’ reputation as a right-wing news outlet which has been found by Ofcom to break impartiality rules. As one user wrote, “That DWTS rejection hit so hard his career exited stage left and he entered far right.”
Another user on X pointed out that Pritchard has shown support for the LGBTQ+ community in the past, having said he would be willing to dance in a same-sex partnership on Strictly and previously choreographing on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK. This makes his association with GB News particularly disappointing.
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