AJ Pritchard quits acting after Hollyoaks backlash

FORMER Strictly star AJ Pritchard has quit acting after just one role.

The professional dancer and his brother Curtis Pritchard suffered bad reviews for their nine-episode run as dancer brothers Marco and Jacob in Hollyoaks in 2021.

Despite the 28-year-old star insisting he "enjoyed" the experience, AJ admits he isn't keen to repeat it in the future.

He told the Daily Star newspaper's Hot TV column: "Hollyoaks were so happy with everything. That's all that matters.

"I enjoyed it but I feel like acting isn't my forte."

The former I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! contestant has plenty of other work opportunities keeping him busy.

He said: "At the moment I want to focus on being fit, healthy and positive.

"I'm working a bit more on YouTube, which is fun. It goes hand in hand with TV work.

"And I'm launching some new business later this year."

AJ and Curtis' casting on Hollyoaks was widely criticised by various soap actors, who insisted people should be cast on talent, not social media followers.

Parry Glasspool, who played Harry Thompson on the soap from 2013 to 2019, wrote on his Instagram Stories at the time: "As if budding actors didn't struggle enough, now they have to compete with folks with zero interest in acting, but have s*** tone of followers.

"No offence for those who can hustle, but sucks for those trying to catch a break."

In addition, former 'EastEnders' actor Michael Greco slammed AJ and Curtis' "shocking" acting on 'Hollyoaks', and he claimed people could learn "how not to act" from watching a video of the brothers on the Channel 4 soap.

The clip was shared by former 'Oaks' star Gerard McCarthy, and Michael wrote: "I think people can watch this and learn so much from it. How “not” to act. Shocking (sic)"

Gerard - who played Kris Fisher in the Channel 4 soap from 2006 to 2010 - also hit out at the AJ and Curtis scene, describing it as a "car crash".

He tweeted: "The next time a producer/casting director says the words “but they have a big social media following”…. Just point them in the direction of this absolute car crash!

"It’s a simple idea: stop giving actors’ jobs to models / reality tv contestants / pop stars from 1995 / Crufts winners / anybody else who is not an actor."THEY WILL BE S****!"