Strictly Come Dancing star quits acting after fan backlash after just one role

07 August 2023 , 15:01

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Strictly Come Dancing star quits acting after fan backlash after just one role

Strictly Come Dancing's AJ Pritchard has quit his acting career after just one role.

The professional dancer, 28, and his brother Curtis, 27, were given less than favourable reviews when they rocked up on Hollyoaks as dancer duo Marcus and Jacob in 2021. Some felt the siblings were only on the show because of their social media following, with Parry Glasspool, who played Harry Thompson in the soap, fuming: "As if budding actors didn't struggle enough, now they have to compete with folks with zero interest in acting, but have s*** tone of followers."

AJ has now decided to give up acting after his nine episode jaunt on the Channel 4 programme, sharing: "Hollyoaks were so happy with everything. That's all that matters. I enjoyed it but I feel like acting isn't my forte."

Strictly Come Dancing's AJ Pritchard has quit acting after just one role (E4)

The former I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! contestant shot to fame on Strictly before he decided to hang up his dance shoes in 2019. He told the Daily Star, he's now wants to "focus on being fit, healthy and positive" adding: "I'm working a bit more on YouTube, which is fun. It goes hand in hand with TV work. And I'm launching some new business later this year."

AJ and Curtis' foray into the world of acting ruffled a few feathers with their fellow performers, who took to Twitter to air their views. Former EastEnders actor Michael Greco slammed the siblings' "shocking" acting on the soap, claiming people could learn "how not to act" from watching a video of the brothers.

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The clip was shared by former Hollyoaks star Gerard McCarthy as Michael wrote: "I think people can watch this and learn so much from it. How 'not' to act. Shocking (sic)". Gerard – who played Kris Fisher in the Channel 4 soap from 2006 to 2010 – also hit out at the AJ and Curtis scene, describing it as a "car crash". He tweeted: "The next time a producer/casting director says the words 'but they have a big social media following'…. Just point them in the direction of this absolute car crash!"

However, there were some who loved seeing the Pritchard pair rock up in the Chester-based soap and praised the producers for their casting choice.

AJ and Curtis played dancer brothers Marcus and Jacob in Hollyoaks (GC Images)

The dancer says he's launching a new business this year (Dave Benett/Getty Images for Smi)

Earlier this year, AJ opened up about his mental health when he woke up in the grips of "the worst panic attack". The incident occurred after the dancer's then girlfriend Abbie Quinnen was seriously injured following a TikTok stunt.

In January 2021, the former couple had been attempting to recreate a ‘life hack’ tutorial, cutting a wine bottle in half using a burning rope. But the bottle exploded, engulfing Abbie in flames. She was admitted to intensive care with second and third degree burns, losing part of her ear and undergoing several skin graft operations.

Speaking about the aftermath in which he became Abbie's "full-time carer" during lockdown, AJ told the Mirror: "Once I’d calmed down, which took days, I realised I needed to talk to somebody. I needed to get this off my chest and try to deal with it. I kept insisting that I was fine but I obviously wasn’t."

Victoria Johns