Dancer AJ Pritchard would love to see Philip Schofield join Strictly Come Dancing as show's first same-sex pairing

In a recent interview, AJ Pritchard spoke on his excitement for Schofield to join Strictly and the importance of telling a story through dance.

AJ Pritchard wants Schofield on Strictly Philip Schofield in pictured waving a multi coloured cape

British dancer and choreographer AJ Pritchard has shared he would love This Morning host Philip Schofield to be a part of Strictly Come Dancing’s first same-sex pairing. 

In an interview with the Sun, AJ Pritchard revealed his excitement to see Schofield hit the dancefloor as part of Strictly’s first ever same-sex pairing. He said, “To see him learn and put him under a bit of pressure would always be funny, I’m sure.”

Pritchard further shared, “I think Phillip Schofield would be great on Strictly. He got up on This Morning once with Holly and did a bit of a boogie and he can dance, and he is entertaining, and he is such a nice guy.”

The former Strictly Come Dancing star announced in March that he would not be returning as a professional dancer in the 2020 competition. He will be exploring other projects alongside his brother and Love Island alumni Curtis Pritchard. 

However, Pritchard has been keeping an eye on the ballroom and definitely has a lot of fun ideas for the show. He said, “It would be great if [Schofield] was part of the first same-sex couple on Strictly – I would love to see that.”

While speaking about the online learning platform FutureLearn, Pritchard further opened up about how dance should be able to tell a story. He spoke about the tradition behind this profession and the importance of bringing in a personal perspective. 

Pritchard shared, “For me, dancing isn’t about the sex, it’s just about two people dancing and performing together and telling the story – it doesn’t matter if it’s two men or two women. It is just about dancing and telling the story – why would sex get in the way of that?”

Though Pritchard has sent many fans abuzz with possibilities, Schofield’s representatives reached out to RadioTimes and said the TV host was not in talks with BBC about Strictly. They termed the claims as “untrue.”

In February, Schofield publicly came out as gay in a moving message during an episode of This Morning. His powerful message of finding self-acceptance has resonated with many queer people and helped them in their own coming out journey.

© 2020 GCN (Gay Community News). All rights reserved.

Support GCN

GCN is a free, vital resource for Ireland’s LGBTQ+ community since 1988.

GCN is a trading name of National LGBT Federation CLG, a registered charity - Charity Number: 20034580.

GCN relies on the generous support of the community and allies to sustain the crucial work that we do. Producing GCN is costly, and, in an industry which has been hugely impacted by rising costs, we need your support to help sustain and grow this vital resource.

Supporting GCN for as little as €1.99 per month will help us continue our work as Ireland’s free, independent LGBTQ+ media.

0 comments. Please sign in to comment.