AJ Pritchard faces backlash after making GB News presenting debut

Former Strictly Come Dancing professional AJ Pritchard has faced criticism after making his presenting debut on GB News. The Independent reported that the 31-year-old dancer hosted The Saturday Five on Saturday 3 October, opening the programme with a segment about shoplifting before attracting criticism over both his presenting style and his decision to accept a role with the channel.

PinkNews reported that some viewers also questioned Pritchard’s move because of his previous LGBTQ+ allyship, pointing to his appearance on the cover of Attitude magazine and his work on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK. Pritchard has not publicly addressed the criticism surrounding his new role or explained his decision to join GB News, according to PinkNews.

Key facts about AJ Pritchard’s GB News debut

Detail	What we know
Programme	Pritchard hosted The Saturday Five, according to The Independent and PinkNews
Debut date	His presenting debut was on Saturday 3 October
Opening subject	The programme opened with a discussion about shoplifting, The Independent reported
Age	Pritchard is 31, according to both outlets
Strictly career	He was a professional dancer on Strictly Come Dancing from 2016 to 2019
Previous LGBTQ+ work	PinkNews reported that he appeared on Attitude’s cover and worked on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK
Response from Pritchard	PinkNews said he has not publicly addressed the criticism over his GB News role

What AJ Pritchard said during his presenting debut

The Independent reported that Pritchard began The Saturday Five with a segment focused on shoplifting. Discussing what he described as an everyday problem in cities, he said: “I think the worrying thing [is] if you live or work in a city, you see it all the time.” He described somebody entering a shop, picking up a meal deal, putting another item in their pockets and leaving without being stopped.

Pritchard went on to argue that what might appear to be small individual losses could become significant when repeated. According to The Independent, he said: “Nobody stops them. Nothing seems to happen. And you might think, ‘It’s only a few pounds; what difference does it really make?’ But think of this: thousands of times, every single shop, every single day, and suddenly, it’s not so petty at all.”

PinkNews also reported the comments, saying Pritchard argued that individual cases of low-value theft could collectively add up to a wider problem. The programme then moved on to a discussion about prisoners being released early.

Viewers criticise AJ Pritchard’s GB News move

The Independent said both Pritchard’s presenting style and his decision to take a role at GB News were criticised by fans online. One person referred to his acting and 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.” Another response quoted by the newspaper said: “Wow!! Talk about a downward spiral,” while a third said: “It’s hilarious the depths people will sink to for relevancy.”

PinkNews described the reaction as mixed initially but said criticism soon spread online, with some viewers focusing on his decision to work for GB News. The outlet reported that his previous public association with LGBTQ+ causes became part of that response.

According to PinkNews, one social-media user drew attention to Pritchard’s previous Attitude cover and Drag Race UK appearance while accusing him of moving from “actively supporting the LGBTQ+ community” to working for a platform that the user characterised as hostile to LGBTQ+ people. Another person described his earlier allyship as “performative”.

AJ Pritchard’s previous LGBTQ+ work comes under focus

PinkNews reported that Pritchard appeared on the cover of Attitude magazine in 2018. The accompanying interview covered his career and relationships as well as his same-sex pairing with Pasha Kovalev during Strictly Come Dancing’s 16th series that year.

He also worked on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK with his brother Curtis Pritchard, PinkNews reported. The pair appeared as guest choreographers for the Series 1 finale, helping the final three queens prepare for an all-singing, all-dancing main challenge.

PinkNews said that history had led some viewers to question his new television role. The outlet also reported that GB News has faced repeated regulatory scrutiny, including Ofcom investigations and rulings concerning due impartiality and other broadcasting standards. PinkNews described the broadcaster as a channel providing news, opinions and analysis and featuring prominent conservative and right-wing political commentators.

Pritchard’s career since leaving Strictly Come Dancing

Pritchard was a Strictly professional from 2016 to 2019, The Independent reported, before leaving to pursue ambitions of becoming a presenting double act with his brother Curtis, who appeared on Love Island. PinkNews similarly reported that Pritchard left the BBC programme to pursue presenting opportunities with his brother.

His television appearances after Strictly included I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! during the pandemic series filmed in Wales in late 2020, according to The Independent, followed by Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins two years later. PinkNews also cited appearances on the two programmes in 2020 and 2022 respectively.

More recently, Pritchard competed in the US series The Next Pro, where the winner would secure a professional position on Dancing With the Stars. The Independent said Pritchard and his fiancée Zara Zoffany delayed their wedding so he could take part, but he finished second. PinkNews reported that he was runner-up to Adele Zaikman.

Earlier Strictly controversy over British dancers

Pritchard had already drawn criticism from former Strictly colleagues after saying the BBC programme should hire more British professional dancers. The Independent quoted him telling The Sun: “We’re in the UK, I’m proud to be British and there are so many fantastic boys and girls out there who would love the opportunity.” He said he believed doing so would support the country.

Former Strictly professional Oti Mabuse responded by saying Pritchard “might have rubbed a lot of people the wrong way with his personality”, according to The Independent. Referring to The Next Pro, she said: “It’s gonna be tough for him to come back from this because this was his second chance.” PinkNews similarly reported that Mabuse suggested rebuilding relationships within the Strictly community could be difficult.

Karen Hauer also criticised Pritchard’s comments. The Independent quoted her saying: “You don’t hear Americans say we need only Americans.” She added: “We’re all immigrants, we’re all doing the best that we can and we’re all gonna take the opportunities that we can. So yeah, it was a little bit low of him to say that. Don’t say that.” PinkNews reported that Hauer argued Strictly’s international dancers had also contributed to the programme’s success.

Frequently asked questions

What did AJ Pritchard do on GB News?

The Independent reported that Pritchard made his presenting debut on The Saturday Five on Saturday 3 October. The programme opened with a segment about shoplifting.

Why is AJ Pritchard being criticised over GB News?

The Independent reported criticism of both his presenting style and decision to join the channel. PinkNews said some viewers also questioned the move because of his previous LGBTQ+ allyship, including work connected with Attitude and RuPaul’s Drag Race UK.

Has AJ Pritchard responded to the GB News backlash?

No public response was reported by PinkNews. The outlet said Pritchard had not publicly addressed the criticism over his new role or explained his decision to join the broadcaster.