AJ Pritchard’s grandma has died – but he WON’T be told until after I’m A Celebrity exit, reveals brother Curtis
CURTIS Pritchard has revealed that he and brother AJ's beloved grandma Angela died on Friday at the age of 93.
In a lengthy statement, the 24-year-old dancer confirmed that AJ will not find out about her death until he leaves I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! this week, with it their grandad's wish that he carried on with the show.
The final of the ITV reality show will air this Friday [4 December], with the former Strictly pro still in the running to be crowned King of the Castle.
Taking to his Instagram page this morning, Curtis shared a smiling photo of himself posing alongside his gran as he broke the news.
Referencing 26-year-old AJ, the former Love Island star wrote: "It is following our grandad's wishes that myself and AJ are to carry on with the current projects we are committed to.
"Grandad said to myself and AJ that it would break his heart for us to stop what we were doing as Nanna had such pride in our work.
"AJ therefore discussed with the family before entering the castle that if something did happen to Nanna whilst he was away, that he wouldn't want to be told until he left the castle and that in her honour he would complete his commitment to the show, with a view to doing her and the family proud.
"As Grandad and Nanna would have wished for, AJ will stay in the castle and continue making her proud wherever she is watching from."
Curtis added: "AJ has so much more to give to the show and we know that Nanna will be watching and guiding him throughout the final part of his journey on the programme.
"We know we have made the right decision for everyone involved."
While AJ stars in I'm A Celeb, Curtis has recently started filming for the new series of Celebs Go Dating, with it understood that he will be continuing with the work commitment in spite of his grief.
In a moving tribute, the star called Angela "one of the most inspirational women on the planet".
And he shared treasured memories - including her waking him up to Weetabix in bed to make sure he was "strong and ready" for the day.
He also revealed that she had been diagnosed with dementia 10 years ago, making it the "family's turn to look after her".
Curtis went on to share his heartbreak as he explained that only two family members were able to visit Angela in hospital before she passed away due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
He captioned his moving post: "Life is beautiful, life is incredible, life is magical… But sadly it doesn’t last forever.
"RIP, I love your Nanna
"Nanna, words literally cannot describe how much I love you, and forever will love you and the memories of you. You really have been a massive part of my life and helped me to be the man I am today."
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Family has clearly been on AJ's mind during his I'm A Celeb stint, previously using one of the show's live trials to wish his dad a happy birthday.
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In last night's episode of the programme, the kind-hearted star was shown giving away two opportunities to receive a message from home to his other campmates.
He, Jordan North, and Giovanna Fletcher ended up being the only contestants to go without.