The 24-year-old Strictly Come Dancing professional broke down on the special charity series in aid of Stand Up To Cancer when he opened up about the intense experience.
Having been on the run for nearly 14 days, AJ, who had assistance from various family members throughout the duration of the series, welled up when talking about seeing his mother again.
“I’m doing it for mum,” he told the camera, as he prepared to head to the extraction point in a bid to beat the hunters.
“She told him to go out there and have fun,” he continued, getting choked up.
“It gets emotional when you know the end is so close,” he admitted.
The tense programme boiled down to just AJ and politician Johnny Mercer, 37, left in the race to the finish line with the hunters, who are professionally trained to hunt fugitives.
They had to get the a particular point on the Solent in Southampton for extraction in order to win, with the hunters hot on their heels having got wind of the location.
Although it came to a nail-biting finish, AJ and Johnny just managed to board the extraction boat to escape at the very last minute, whizzing across the water as they celebrated their victory.
“It was an emotional, physical rollercoaster,” AJ said. “I can call my mum now and tell her I did it! She’s going to be so proud.”
AJ previously opened up about the poignant reason he took part in Celebrity Hunted for Stand Up To Cancer when he appeared on Lorraine earlier this week.
“It was all for Stand Up To Cancer,” the professional dancer said. “The lady that helped me to complete and fun my dancing, she passed away from cancer very suddenly.
“Her motto in life was, never sit at home. Always go for everything, take it with two hands because that opportunity might not be there tomorrow,” he continued.
“She is the reason why I don’t sit back. I get up every morning.”
More to follow…