Strictly Come Dancing's former pro AJ Pritchard has opened up about how the show has changed since his exit in 2019, admitting that things are definitely different.
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When asked if he has noticed differences on the show, he said: "I do. And I don't think it's for the better on that side. I think what the best thing is, as you said, we know. Movies, Halloween, Blackpool, Musicals, final. As a ballroom and Latin dancer, we always had quite clear rules. You start, and you can do a nice entry, some storytelling, you stay in hold and if you break hold you do it for two eighths then you get back into hold and finish.
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"We would actually see the quality of the dancing. And I think the British public really love the quality of the movement and the authenticity of each individual dance. Whereas at the moment I feel like people are [doing side-by-side dancing]."
AJ left the show in 2019
Speaking about Hamza Yassin's performance, he continued: "Hamza this weekend, he was great, he was so light on his feet, he was beautiful but for me he could have got a perfect score if he had stayed in hold for longer… Strictly forgets a lot of people watch the show because they love to social dance… Don't change a format that is so perfect that works. Don't change the wheel, we don't need a square one, the round one works!"
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Curtis added: "It's about making sure you're dancing together for 95 per cent of the routine, and the rest should be showmanship."
He also opened up about the BBC 100-year special, saying: "I think it's a really hard one because it's like you do a New Year's Eve party and oh my God, this can be the best party in a year. You try and make it up to the light and then you're like, Oh no. So pressure on this party. But then the party doesn't feel like what it should be."
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