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AJ Pritchard and brother Curtis on reason behind horrific nightclub attack: 'they were jealous'
2 January 2019, 12:56 | Updated: 2 January 2019, 14:13
AJ Pritchard and his brother Curtis were attacked in a Cheshire nightclub on 27 December.
Strictly Come Dancing star AJ Pritchard and his brother Curtis have spoken out about being attacked in a Cheshire nightclub over the Christmas period.
Curtis, who is also a professional dancer, risked his own career by pushing his brother out of the way when eight people started on them on the dancefloor of Nantwich club Nakatcha.
In an interview with James O'Brien on LBC about the attack, which took place in during a night out with friends on 27 December and left AJ with bruises on his face, arms, legs and body, they said they thought the reason behind the horrific attack was because the perpetrators were jealous of the attention AJ was receiving in the club.
Opening up about the terrifying ordeal, Curtis said: "The only possible outcome that I could think, that is such a child mindset that this could be, is jealousy of who AJ is…
"He did get attention from people wanting photos, and people kept coming up and recognising him. I could only think there was one reason why - they were jealous.
"It was completely unprovoked," he added.
Speaking about how the sickening attack happened, AJ said: "We were out in our local town where we feel very safe. We were just enjoying our night. Curtis was violently pushed from his left. Before he could put his arm up, he was punched by 5 people from his right. He took the full force for me."
AJ, who finished fifth in the 2018 series of Strictly Come Dancing with partner Lauren Steadman, previously opened up about Curtis putting his own career at risk to save him during the attack, telling The Sun: “Curtis risked his own dancing career to save mine as he threw himself in front of the attackers so they couldn’t get to me.
"He was thinking of both my dancing career with my legs and my TV career with my face.
“He tried to protect me and in doing so saved my life and my legs from danger.”
Curtis, who underwent surgery in the wake of the attack and was forced to pull out of Dancing With The Stars Ireland, recently opened up about the ordeal on Instagram, sharing a photo of he and his brother with the caption: "Thank you everyone for your support to myself and @aj11ace who I’m Lucky enough to call my best mate and my brother.
The current events that have happend have yes been tragic but also a blessing. It’s brought us even closer together and made us stronger then ever.
"We will be entering this new year with positive minds and with the knowledge that sometimes people knock you down and try and break you. But having your family there and the love we share for each other nothing can break us... we are starting this new year with the brightest of futures ahead."
When asked by James O'Brien how AJ would cope if Curtis wasn't able to dance again, AJ said: "I dont even want to put that thought in the forefront of my brain cos we are such a positive family.
"Everything happens for a reason, and i think that there’s always going to be a place where we’re going to work together definitely into the near future. I know he’ll be fine. We always turn it into a positive."
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