AJ Pritchard and girlfriend Abbie Quinnen have come under fire after sharing photos of a visit to a hotel during lockdown. The former Strictly Come Dancing star shared several pictures from the day trip on Thursday which showed the couple, who have just celebrated their first year anniversary, enjoying the great outdoors that surround the hotel they visited – Combermere Abbey.
"Thank you Combermere Abbey for the invite… we loved our walk today amongst the beautiful Blue Bells. #walk #country #forest," he captioned the post.
© Photo: InstagramSome fans were quick to question the timing of his trip, with one writing: "this must have been an old piccie then? #lockdown #essentialtravelonly?," whilst another one said: "Don't you and your family have a huge garden and outdoor space. Would have been nice if @combermere_abbey could have invited a family that’s been stuck inside a small flat/ house without the access to a garden."
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A third fan, however, defended their outing, informing his 657,000 followers that "they live within cycling distance from the abbey so haven't broken any lockdown rules."
© Photo: InstagramCombermere Abbey is an English wedding venue located in the Cheshire/Shropshire countryside, something that didn't go unnoticed by one fan. "I see it's a wedding venue, is this a hint for things to come?@aj11ace," they commented alongside the beautiful snaps he shared.
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AJ and Abbie's special outing comes just a week after they celebrated a special milestone in their relationship – their first anniversary.
Taking to Instagram on 6 April, the professional dancer shared a rare selfie with Abbie, who could be seen in a Wonder Woman costume, and captioned it: "You're my Super Woman. Happy 1 year anniversary." Abbie shared a similar snap taken on the same day, and wrote alongside it: "Happy year anniversary to this special one @aj11ace."
Despite dating for a year, it was only recently that AJ opened up about the romance, revealing the reason that they get on so well. "It's crazy as it's our one-year anniversary coming up. We get on so well because we both work just as hard as each other. She's actually annoying because she can literally do everything. Even when I was on Strictly last, she helped with the routines I had to choreograph for me and Saffron [Barker]," he told the Daily Mail.
