AJ Pritchard may be competing for a spot on “Dancing With the Stars,” but he is no stranger to the ballroom. The 31-year-old British dancer has made it to the final three on “Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro,” where he is competing against Adele Zaikman and Selena Hamilton. The winner will earn the opportunity to join “Dancing With the Stars” season 35 as a professional dancer. Before the winner is crowned, here are five fast facts about Pritchard in our “DWTS” spoilers.
1. AJ Pritchard Was a Pro on ‘Strictly Come Dancing’
This isn’t something new to Pritchard. He has experience in teaching celebrities how to dance on live television.
In 2016, he joined the BBC’s “Strictly Come Dancing,” the British counterpart to “Dancing With the Stars,” as a professional dancer. AJ was a part of the show for four seasons before announcing his departure in 2020.
He had some success during his time on the show. AJ was first paired with Olympic gymnast Claudia Fragapane, and they finished in fourth place in 2016. He would also go on to dance with Mollie King, Lauren Steadman, and Saffron Barker.
2. He Competed on ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ Before ‘Strictly’
His casting on “Strictly Come Dancing” wasn’t Pritchard’s first experience competing on a major reality TV show. He also appeared on Season 7 of “Britain’s Got Talent” in 2013 alongside his longtime dance partner, Chloe Hewitt.
The duo impressed the judges during their time on the show. They made it all the way to the semifinals before being eliminated.
Pritchard and Hewitt also found success away from television. The pair would become National Youth Latin champions three years in a row and were European Youth Latin champions.
3. Reality TV Runs In the Family
Dancing and reality TV seem to run in the Pritchard family.
His younger brother, Curtis Pritchard, also happens to be a professional dancer. Curtis worked on Ireland’s version of “Dancing With the Stars” before he became a contestant on “Love Island UK” in 2019. He went on to reach the finale before finishing in fourth place alongside Maura Higgins.
The brothers grew up around dance thanks to their parents, Adrian and Debi Pritchard. Their parents ran a dance school together. AJ began dancing competitively when he was 12 years old.
4. AJ Pritchard Is Engaged to Zara Zoffany
We have all heard Pritchard talk this season of “DWTS: The Next Pro” about postponing his wedding to be on the show. That wedding is to his fiancée, Zara Zoffany.
She is another familiar face to reality TV viewers. She was part of “The Royal World” cast before competing on “The Challenge: UK” and “The Challenge: World Championship.”
The couple started dating in 2022. They took a major step in their relationship when they got engaged in March 2025.
Zoffany has been supporting AJ during his time on “Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro.” This support has recently caused some drama outside the ballroom.
5. Searching For His Ballroom Comeback
If Pritchard wins “DWTS: The Next Pro,” it would bring his career full circle.
After leaving “Strictly Come Dancing” in 2020, he branched out into other areas of television. He competed on “I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!” in 2020. He would later appear on “Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins.”
However, competing on “The Next Pro” has allowed him to return to his ballroom roots. A victory in the finale would mean returning to the role that first made him a television star, but this time on the other side of the Atlantic.
