AJ Pritchard ‘BLUSHES’ as Strictly partner Lauren Steadman reveals all: ‘I’m speechless’
AJ PRITCHARD was left blushing thanks to his Strictly Come Dancing 2018 partner Lauren Steadman, after he previously hinted at a possible romance between them.
Strictly's AJ and Lauren enjoy afternoon tea in Covent Garden
AJ Pritchard and Lauren Steadman were partnered up thanks to Strictly Come Dancing 2018, and last weekend they were eliminated from the completion. The Paralympian has since revealed what the professional dancer is really like behind-the-scenes, which left him “speechless”. The 25-year-old said many see the pro, 24, as a “fierce dancer” but behind the scenes he is very different. It comes just weeks after he hinted that their could be something romantic between them in the future, causing a stir amongst fans.
There is so much thought and passion and AJ Pritchard's really caring
Speaking on the latest edition of Strictly Come Dancing: Strictly Confidential, Lauren told him and the host that she was not a natural dancer after her emotional exit.
She lost out in dance-off against Ashley Roberts and Pasha Kovalev on Sunday, after the judges unanimously voted to save the latter couple.
When the presenter refuted her self-deprecating remark, AJ stated: “No, I’ll say that she’s not a natural dancer. Those Monday mornings were not pretty.”
Laughing, Lauren continued: “So it’s been really hard and week on week, I’ve really had to think hard and get my body to do thinks that it wouldn’t normally do.
“And, with the one arm, it’s been thinking outside the box for AJ especially and adapting things… We’ve never let it get in our way and we’ve always pushed for greater things.”
AJ joined in: “There has always been challenges, every single week, but you’re so stubborn and always like, ‘We will find a way to do this.’ Even if it doesn’t work, it will somehow.
“It’s been a blast. What’re you going to do with your hours now? We were doing 8am through to 10pm.”
After saying she was going to sleep with her newfound time off, Lauren was asked about AJ’s “hard exterior” while being soft on the inside.
“I definitely think this,” she said, with the podcast star remarking on the fact he was “blushing”.
“I’m speechless and that doesn’t happen very often,” he remarked, as she went on: “I think on the outside you see AJ as such a fierce dancer and very competitive and such an achiever, but actually there is so much thought and passion and he’s really caring.
“Never once have I been in the training room and thought, ‘Oh I don’t like this man’… fluffy and squidgy on the inside.”
Meanwhile, last month, AJ hinted at romance with Lauren Steadman, saying: “We’ve grown so close”.
He told the Mirror: “I am very protective of Lauren because we have worked so close together.
“There are different things that she will talk about in training that she would never talk about on camera.”
AJ added: “It’s for that reason that we have grown so close together and we will be friends for life and who knows in the future… You never know what is going to happen.”
Strictly Come Dancing 2018 concludes tonight at 6.30pm on BBC One.