Former Strictly Come Dancing professional AJ Pritchard has faced criticism after making his presenting debut on GB News. The dancer fronted The Saturday Five show last weekend, opening with a discussion about shoplifting.
During the segment, Pritchard said: "I think the worrying thing [is] if you live or work in a city, you see it all the time. Somebody walks into a shop, they pick up their meal deal, they fill their pockets with something, and they walk out."
He continued: "Nobody stops them. Nothing seems to happen. And you might think, 'It's only a few pounds; what difference does it really make?' But think of this: thousands of times, every single shop, every single day, and suddenly, it's not so petty at all."
Shoplifting statistics cited
Pritchard went on to cite statistics showing police recorded more than 507,000 shoplifting offences in England and Wales over the last year. He added: "What's the point in working hard and really wanting to do something good for your business when you know that, unfortunately, these are the consequences?"
He appeared to share his own opinion, adding that it "isn't about someone just stealing a sandwich," instead, the larger topic is "what happens when we allow thousands and thousands of supposedly small crimes to become, well, normal."
Social media reaction
However, his first appearance drew criticism from many social media users. One viewer said on X, formerly known as Twitter: "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."
A second wrote: "I could have presented this slicker, more natural, looked like a bad school production! What are GBN thinking!?" A third likened his presenting to his and his brother's now-famous "How's Trish?" moment on Hollyoaks, saying: "Making his 'How's Trish' performance seem Oscar worthy compared to this."
Some viewers were quick to praise Pritchard, with one writing: "I think AJ will be OK after some time, at the moment you can see he is trying to keep up with and get used to reading off the teleprompter." Another commented: "How brilliant is @Aj11Ace what a lovely presenter."
Recent Dancing With The Stars struggles
The new career is a departure from how fans usually see Pritchard. Recently, he was seen in tears as he attempted to crack the United States on Dancing With The Stars and revealed the sacrifices he made to chase his dream.
Competing for his spot on The Next Pro, he was filmed sitting crying as fellow competitor Nina Mayster tried to comfort him. He explained the "stress and exhaustion" was getting to him and said: "Especially when you do a routine and just want it to be perfect. For years and years I've wanted this and I don't want to go home."
He added: "I put myself under maybe too much pressure. Because I want to show how much this means to me." Opening up on what he had given up for the experience, he said: "I've sacrificed so much to be here and do this. I've had to move my wedding. It's overwhelming when I actually think about the lengths I've gone to. To not achieve what I've given up everything for would just be so disappointing."
