NIGHTMARE
AJ Pritchard ‘haunted’ by girlfriend Abbie Quinnen’s screams as she says she thought she would die in fireball accident
AJ PRITCHARD has admitted the moment girlfriend Abbie Quinnen caught fire as she "screamed" his name will "haunt" him forever.
The TV star witnessed Abbie engulfed by flames when a TikTok challenge he made them attempt went horribly wrong.
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Abbie recalled on ITV's Lorraine today: "AJ wanted to do this challenge.
"(The fire) went up straight away, and straight across the room and caught my hair.
"When I was on fire I was just thinking, 'how can I survive, how can I get myself out of this situation?'
"I didn't feel pain I think because I was in shock."
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Speaking to host Lorraine Kelly, AJ jumped into action mode and said time stood still as tried to rescue his girlfriend.
He said: "I think within the moment, seconds felt like a lifetime. When Abbie hit the floor and tried to roll and I was grabbing wet towels, it felt like a whole year within seconds.
"But you have to do what you've got to do in them scenarios and I think as soon as I handed you off to the professionals I was a goner, I broke down."
But AJ still suffers flashbacks despite Abbie's incredible recovery.
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He said: "You rolled on the floor, you were screaming out my name. That is one point that will haunt me forever."
Choking up he added: "Then days later in the hospital getting out of the wheelchair, actually being yourself and being able to hug you, because I wasn't allowed to go into hospital.
"The hardest thing was feeling helpless. When someone is a control freak and you can't do anything."
Abbie had been filming a “life hack” video with partner AJ for their one million Instagram followers showing how to cut a glass bottle in half to be used as a vase.
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The risky trick involves dipping a rope in a flammable chemical, wrapping it around the bottle and lighting a flame to it.
The couple’s attempt sparked a fireball which engulfed Abbie who was leaning over a worktop. The bottle blew up and her hair and clothing caught alight.
Following the accident, Abbie has since made 20 hospital visits, needed three skin grafts and she has been forced to wear a compression vest for two years.
The skin graft worked and Abbie's skin looks like it has recovered, but she has laser treatment every six weeks.
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And with doctors encouraging her to stay out of the sun for TWO years she now has to wear high-necked tops and hats, proving devastating for the dancer who admits much of her focus has been on her looks and enviable figure.
Abbie adds: “I can’t dress to show off my figure now; I have to dress to hide and protect myself. I don’t go out without high-factor suncream in foundation and lots of make-up to cover the redness over my face.
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“I have to drink lots of water and eat lots of protein to help my skin recover. AJ cooks me a version of Nando’s chicken with halloumi cheese, which I eat three or four times a week.
“And I drink water all the time because burnt skin is basically completely dehydrated. The doctors are so pleased with the way my skin is healing.”
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