AJ Pritchard, whose real name is Alex Joseph Pritchard, is one of the dancers competing in the first season of Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro this summer. The winner of the show will join the lineup of pro dancers on Dancing With the Stars in the fall.
Obviously, all of the contestants are talented in the field, and AJ certainly has a lot of experience under his belt already. In fact, he was previously a pro on the U.K.’s version of the show, Strictly Come Dancing.
Who is AJ Pritchard?
AJ is a professional dancer. He began dancing when he was 12 years old and partnered with Chloe Hewitt in school. In 2013, they competed on Britain’s Got Talent and made it to the Semifinals.
From 2016 to 2019, AJ was on Strictly Come Dancing (more on that below). He also competed on Celebrity MasterChef, Hunted, I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here, The Challenge U.K., and Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins.
AJ has also dabbled in acting, making his debut on the soap opera Hollyoaks.
What happened to AJ Pritchard on Strictly Come Dancing?
AJ started on Strictly Come Dancing during Season 14. He was partnered with Claudia Fragapane and they finished in fourth place. In Seasons 15 and 16, he finished in fifth place with Mollie King and Lauren Steadman, respectively. His final season, Season 17, was with Saffron Barker and they finished in sixth.
In 2020, AJ announced that he would be leaving Strictly Come Dancing to focus on pursuing a career as a television presenter with his brother Curtis Pritchard, who was a contestant on Love Island U.K. He also told The Sun that the schedule on Strictly had begun taking a toll.
“It took up six months of my life, some days I would work 18-hour days because I was dancing and choreographing,” AJ explained. “I didn’t have a life and I wanted to be able to do more.” The decision allowed him to begin pursuing “things [he] didn’t have time for” in the past.
Funnily enough, AJ’s brother Curtis used to date Maura Higgins, who has been confirmed as a contestant in Season 35 of Dancing With the Stars.
Is AJ Pritchard in a relationship?
Yes, AJ is engaged to Zara Zoffany. They announced their engagement in March 2025, weeks after AJ popped the question. “Pulling off this surprise? One of the biggest & best things I’ve ever done!” AJ wrote on Instagram. “Zara has a sixth sense & somehow knows everything before it happens. But this time… I got her!”
AJ and Zara met on The Challenge UK in 2022. He finished in fourth place and she was the runner-up. Their first meeting took place in the hotel gym in Argentina.
Zara got her television start on The Royal World in 2018 before competing on the U.K.’s version of The Challenge. She was also on The Challenge: World Championship in 2023 and Season 39 of The Challenge U.S. in 2023/2024.
Prior to his relationship with Zara, AJ dated dancer/model/actress Abbie Quinnen for four years from 2018 to 2022. She told The Sun that their breakup was “out of the blue” and that AJ had been talking about marriage before ending the relationship after his stint on The Challenge.
“When he eventually got his phone back he seemed different. He wasn’t calling as much and seemed distracted,” Abbie admitted. She caught him “messaging a girl who had been on the show with him,” and when she questioned him about it, he “was completely cold” in response.
Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro, Series Premiere, Monday, July 13, 8/7c, ABC