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Strictly star AJ Pritchard sparks backlash over new GB News presenting role

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Cite

Huggett, P. (2026, October 5). Strictly star AJ Pritchard sparks backlash over new GB News presenting role. Evening Standard. https://www.standard.co.uk/showbiz/strictly-come-dancing-aj-pritchard-gb-news-b1299551.html

Dated when The Aporia collected the article, usually within hours of publication. Check the original for its exact date and byline.

Evening Standard · collected 2026-10-05 · by Poppy Huggett

Quick Summary

AJ Pritchard, the 31-year-old former Strictly Come Dancing professional, sparked controversy after appearing on GB News to discuss shoplifting and petty crime in England and Wales, where police recorded over 507,000 such offences last year. His segment drew criticism on X (formerly Twitter), with some viewers questioning his move into broadcasting, while others praised his performance. Pritchard recently returned from competing as a professional dancer on Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro in the US.
Written by AI on 2026-10-05, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

AJ Pritchard, a former Strictly Come Dancing professional dancer, has faced backlash for his new role as a presenter on GB News. During an appearance on the channel's The Saturday Five programme, Pritchard discussed shoplifting and petty crime in England and Wales, referencing police data that showed over 507,000 recorded shoplifting offences in the past year. He emphasized how frequent incidents of minor theft can cumulatively become significant issues, noting the apparent normalization of such behavior in urban areas without consequence.

Pritchard's comments sparked reactions on social media platforms like X, with some viewers expressing confusion and criticism about his transition from entertainment to news broadcasting. One user commented, "WTF is he doing?" The dancer had previously appeared in shows such as I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! and the soap opera Hollyoaks, before moving into television presenting roles.

Written for “AJ Pritchard GB News Controversy” on 2026-11-03, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.

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📰 AJ Pritchard GB News Controversy
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Who wrote this

Poppy Huggett
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Topics

American BBC England GB News Wales

Subjects

Pritchard PERSON · 8× GB News ORG · 3× AJ Pritchard PERSON · 2× Adele Zaikman PERSON · 1× American NORP · 1× BBC ORG · 1× England GPE · 1× The Standard ORG · 1× Wales GPE · 1×

Narrative

He has since taken on a number of television roles, including appearances on I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! as well as Hollyoaks. Pritchard has been approached for comment by The Standard.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-10-05
🔮 And you might think, ‘It’s only a few pounds; what difference does it really make?’
2026-10-05 · Evening Standard
Strictly star AJ Pritchard sparks backlash over new GB News presenting role · assertive framing

Claims (20 extracted, 2 hedged)

The professional dancer, 31, appeared on the channel’s The Saturday Five programme, where he presented a segment about shoplifting and petty crime. asserted
he → appear → shoplifting
Opening the segment, Pritchard said: “Okay, so, right. asserted
Pritchard → open → segment
We’re going to kick off with what I think is becoming a real problem. asserted
I → go → ?
“This country has petty crime and it’s starting to feel way too normal.” asserted
it → start → crime
Pritchard went on to discuss the impact of shoplifting and cited police figures showing that more than 507,000 shoplifting offences were recorded in England and Wales over the past year. asserted
offences → go → year
He said: “I think the worrying thing [is] if you live or work in a city, you see it all the time. asserted
you → say → it
Somebody walks into a shop, they pick up their meal deal, they fill their pockets with something and they walk out. asserted
they → walk → something
“Nobody stops them. asserted
Nobody → stop → them
Nothing seems to happen. asserted
Nothing → seem → ?
And you might think, ‘It’s only a few pounds; what difference does it really make?’ uncertain
it → think → difference
“But think of this: thousands of times, across every single shop, every single day, and suddenly, it’s not so petty at all.” asserted
it → think → shop
A clip of Pritchard’s GB News appearance quickly made its way onto X, where some viewers criticised his performance and questioned his move into broadcasting. asserted
viewers → make → broadcasting
One user wrote: “WTF is he doing?” asserted
he → write → WTF
Another referred to Pritchard’s cameo on Hollyoaks, writing: “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.” uncertain
me → refer → News
A third user joked about his career moves, writing: “Went from Strictly pro…” asserted
user → joke → Strictly
Some, however, praised Pritchard, including one user who said: “AJ Pritchard did such a great job on GB News today!” asserted
Pritchard → praise → News
Pritchard’s new role comes shortly after he returned from the US, where he competed on Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro. asserted
he → come → Stars
The former Strictly professional had been hoping to secure a place as a professional dancer on the American programme but finished as runner-up to winner Adele Zaikman. asserted
professional → hop → Zaikman
Pritchard rose to fame as a professional dancer on Strictly Come Dancing, appearing on the BBC show from 2016 until 2021. asserted
Pritchard → rise → 2021
He has since taken on a number of television roles, including appearances on I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! as well as Hollyoaks. Pritchard has been approached for comment by The Standard. asserted
Pritchard → take → Standard
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