The 24-year-old Strictly Come Dancing professional said the styles of dance which he is incorporating into the tour provide a fresh addition to the tradition Ballroom and Latin dances which is has been trained in. “For me it’s about going forwards and seeing the future of dance,” he said during an interview on This Morning earlier this week. “And especially within Strictly as well, you can see — there’s a Couple’s Choice now on the show. This year I did contemporary with Lauren [Steadman] and other people did Street Dance. You can see the dance flavour, the way that it’s changing,” AJ Pritchard explained.
“This show is that change, that forward-thinking.
“It’s feeling very fresh and, for me, that energy is amazing,” he added. “The cast is so, so talented.”
AJ has been part of Strictly’s line-up of professional dancers since 2016 and has reached the semi-final in all three series since.
The first year, he was partnered with Olympic gymnast Claudia Fragapane, 21, the second, Mollie King, 31, and last year he danced with Paralympic triathlete Lauren Steadman, 26.
In a candid interview with Gay Times earlier this week, AJ Pritchard opened up on his sexuality, saying he preferred to avoid labels.
“For me, it has always been about being happy in that time,” he said. “You never know how times will change in where you are in your life.
“But it is always about being happy and being true to yourself.
“Everybody wants to have that label when it is not always necessary,” the Strictly pro continued. “It doesn’t need to be a thing.
“What’s wrong with talking about it as something simple? You don’t need to make it about ’a this’ or ‘a that.’
“At that time of your life, whatever you are, or wherever you are, things always change and you can’t ever say never, because you don’t know what is around the corner and you don’t know what is going to happen tomorrow,” he said.
AJ previously addressed speculation about his sexuality in an interview with The Sun, saying he chose to simply “live his life”.
“I don’t think I should have to define it,” he told the publication. “But the support from the gay community is always fantastic.
“It’s really great because they are always the best people to always be around. I love being around gay people, going to gay clubs,” he added.