Family Guys

Spending time together in lockdown has brought Strictly’s AJ and Love Island’s Curtis closer together – but the brothers owe it all to their dad, as Emma Messenger discovers Photographs by Stuart Wood

- Emma Messenger

Speaking to the Pritchard brothers over Zoom is much as you would expect. Strictly Come Dancing’s AJ and Love Island’s Curtis are both boyish and bubbly. But the real star of the show is their father, Adrian, who’s hilarious, with a continual stream of dry witticisms and quick comments – usually at the expense of his sons.

The three have been in lockdown in the family home in Shropshire, which Adrian shares with his wife, Debi, and AJ’s girlfriend, Abbie. But it’s clear they’ve all been getting on fine. The banter flows, the laughter is endless and the teasing’s done with real affection. The boys – ever the professionals – helped S Magazine out by doing their own hair and make-up for our shoot, putting a dab of powder on their dad and doing their own styling with advice from our fashion team.

The love and admiration AJ, 25, and Curtis, 24, have for their father is obvious. It was Adrian, himself an experienced ballroom and Latin dancer, who set them on course for careers that saw Curtis as a professional on the Irish version of Dancing With The Stars, and AJ on Strictly Come Dancing.

Adrian and Debi run a successful dance school from their home. “They just walked into the studio and started dancing. They turned out to be quite good,” Adrian says wickedly. But despite his ribbing them, it’s clear just how proud he is of his sons. Not only of their dancing and TV success, but the fact AJ and Curtis have refused to let their dyslexia hold them back.

But first, we ask the important questions…

Your father obviously likes taking the mickey. Is he an embarrassing dad?