Strictly star AJ Pritchard and his brother Curtis tell how they just wanted to get out of the nightclub alive
STRICTLY'S AJ Pritchard and his brother Curtis have told The Sun that they are lucky to be alive after being viciously attacked at a nightclub.
AJ, 24, said his brother took the brunt of the beating to protect him.
Curtis added: “It could have been fatal.”
The BBC1 favourite, 24, said 23-year-old Curtis was knocked unconscious as he risked his own dance career to protect him.
AJ was badly bruised but Curtis suffered a suspected broken nose, blurred vision, a split lip and a knee injury which will need surgery so he can dance again.
In an exclusive joint interview with The Sun, AJ said: “Curtis risked his own dancing career to save mine as he threw himself in front of the attackers so they couldn’t get to me. He was thinking of both my dancing career with my legs and my TV career with my face.
“He tried to protect me and in doing so saved my life and my legs from danger.
“I soon realised there were no winners in this scenario. I just wanted us both to come out alive. I care more about Curtis than I do about selfies and looking good.”
The pair had been enjoying a family Christmas at their home in Stoke-on-Trent, where their parents Debi and Adrian run a dancing school.
AJ said: “We’d been lots of times before and the staff there know us, so we felt it was a safe place for us to go.”
But the pair believe the attention AJ was receiving from female Strictly fans sparked the thugs’ jealous rage.
The brothers and a couple of their friends moved on to the dancefloor where they were set upon.
AJ, who finished fifth in this year’s Strictly alongside celebrity partner Lauren Steadman, said: “We were dancing as a group and, out of the blue, Curtis was violently pushed from the side. It all happened so quickly. Suddenly, we were surrounded by about eight blokes.
“He stuck his arms out to try and stop them and moved in front of me. But we were punched and kicked from all angles. We had no time to defend ourselves, by the time we even put our hands up we were being punched and kicked.
“It was like a scene out of a movie, with all the aggression and violence. Nothing like this had ever happened to us before.
“I couldn’t even take in the pain from the kicks and punching. I just knew we had to get away.”
Curtis added: “There were about eight lads on two of us and we’re not fighters.
“We’re not there for a fight. We don’t want to cause trouble.
“We were just minding our own business, then all of a sudden there was a load of lads around us. I just felt a hard, violent push on my left side, as if someone had lunged at me, and that’s when it all kicked off.
“I looked up to see what was happening and I saw four lads go to grab AJ and I thought, ‘I’ve got to get in between them and him to protect him’.
“So I put my arm over to push him backwards out the way and intercepted them with my body. That’s when people were all around us and started violently swinging and hitting at us. It was crazy.
“Because my arms were down trying to protect AJ and push him back, a massive hook came at my face and hit me in the right eye and seconds later a second hook came again and hit me in the same place on my right eye.
“That’s when my legs turned to jelly and I went down and blacked out. It was terrifying. I didn’t know what was happening.
“Just as I was going down, another hook came and hit me in the eye again. After that I was getting kicked on the floor.”
As security staff moved in, AJ was able to drag a limp and unconscious Curtis off the dancefloor and to safety.
AJ said: “He’d been badly punched and kicked in the face and body and I knew I had to get him away so dragged his body under my arm away from danger.
“His shins were severely hit, his nose, lips and face were bloody. He looked a mess. His eye was closed up and his whole face looked swollen. My T-shirt was covered in his blood. I was terrified.”
Curtis said he feared he had lost his sight in one eye but was more worried about the injuries to his legs.
He says: “I remember waking up and people were saying, ‘Your face!’. I couldn’t even see through one eye but I was panicking, shouting, ‘My knee, my knee — I can’t walk. I can’t put pressure on it.’
“I knew it wasn’t good. I wasn’t even thinking about my face, I was more worried about my leg. I was thinking, ‘If my leg’s not working I can’t do the dancing that I’ve trained my entire life for’.
“People can still dance blind but they need their legs.”
Bouncers closed the club while police and ambulances were called. The brothers were taken to hospital for treatment.
AJ said: “When I looked in the mirror I was shocked and upset.
“My whole face looked swollen and bruised and there were ring marks from the punching all over my arms. It was awful. I’m painfully bruised, especially on my shins. They’re really bad.
“I needed to ice all over my body and face to stop the swelling but Curtis got the brunt of it as he was protecting me.”
Curtis, who was still having hospital treatment yesterday, was badly concussed. He has pulled out of Dancing With The Stars in Ireland. He said: “I don’t know what I’ll do if I can’t dance again.
“I just hope that operation can save me. Something can go wrong on the operating table. There’s a chance my dancing career is over.”
AJ added: “It’s been a vile and shocking experience.
“Seeing my dad crying is the worst. This endless violence in the UK has to stop.”
Cheshire police say a 20-year-old man was arrested and released under investigation.
MESSAGES of support for AJ and his brother Curtis flooded in from the Strictly “family”.
AJ’s 2018 dance partner, Paralympic athlete Lauren Steadman, tweeted: “Hoping my dance partner will get his smile back soon @aj11ace wishing AJ and @curtispritchard12 speedy recoveries.”
Strictly’s head judge Shirley Ballas was concerned about how dangerous the streets had become. She said: “My thoughts and prayers are with @Aj11Ace @CurtisPritchard the world has become a dangerous place.”
Pro dancer Karen Clifton was also shocked by the “extremely disturbing incident” and hoped those responsible are caught and punished.
2018 finalist Joe Sugg was “saddened” while pro dancer Aljaz Skorjanec was left fuming by the attack on “two lovely guys that mean no harm to anyone ever!” And he said to the attackers: “Shall we dance?”
Tour host and previous winner Ore Oduba echoed Aljaz’s anger saying: “Hope they find the low lifes and put them away.”
Pro dancer Katya Jones wondered what had happened to the season of goodwill, adding: “It’s Christmas people! Where is humanity going?” Pro dancer Oti Mabuse was “so sad” while fellow pro Giovanni Pernice felt “disgusted”.
Former pro James Jordan was seething at the “idiots”, adding: “Real tough guys! I hope Karma comes back to get you!” And It Takes Two host Zoe Ball called the incident “brutal” and “heartbreaking”.
