Oti Mabuse has voiced her opinion that fellow dancer AJ Pritchard appears "scared" as he pursues a professional role on the U.S. version of the popular dance competition. Pritchard is currently a finalist in "Dancing With The Stars: The Next Pro," a show where professional dancers compete for a position on the American reality series.
Mabuse, who previously worked with Pritchard on the BBC's "Strictly Come Dancing," reiterated earlier criticisms, suggesting that Pritchard's actions stem from a place of insecurity. During a TikTok Q&A session, Mabuse discussed Pritchard, distinguishing between his professional capabilities and his personal demeanor.
"AJ the professional is skilled," Mabuse stated. "What he has to deliver on the dance floor cannot be taken away, it cannot be denied. It is a skill, it's a talent; it is a power of his, it is a tool."
However, she expressed a different view of his conduct off the dance floor. "The person I think you have to be in the room to experience it because there is a level where he's very professional, he keeps it cute, he keeps it motivated – he's very much into mental wellness and mental stamina, which we really love. There's also a deeper level that is quite strong."
Mabuse elaborated on her perception of Pritchard's current mindset. "But now through the show, genuinely, what I'm seeing is… I think he is really scared," she said. "Whatever he's doing and he's saying is coming from a place of being scared and wanting to be good enough, which essentially means that maybe he doesn't feel like he's good enough. So he pushes and he's right to push… but it's the way he's pushing, the methods, the communication, the words that he's choosing to push."
She also commented on the cultural differences between the U.S. and U.K. dance competition environments. "I've never been a part of 'Dancing With The Stars,' but culturally, the work culture in America with the audience and the pros and the celeb is a completely different work culture that we have here," Mabuse observed. "But if you want to survive and crossover from pond to pond, it doesn't matter which direction… you're going to have to learn the work culture of the place and how and what makes the people tick."
Mabuse suggested that Pritchard's previous approach might not translate well to the American market. "And so I don't think what worked in the UK will work in America… maybe he might be palatable for another audience." She concluded that it will be challenging for Pritchard to overcome recent perceptions, noting, "It’s gonna be tough for him to come back from this because this was his second chance… it’s gonna be tough for a lot of people to now warm to him."
This latest commentary follows Mabuse's remarks last month, where she questioned Pritchard's "personality" and suggested he had "rubbed a lot of people the wrong way" during his time on "Strictly Come Dancing." She specifically referenced comments Pritchard made to The Sun about wanting more British dancers on the show, contrasting it with the international nature of "Strictly's" professional cast. Mabuse pointed out that many of the show's most popular professionals, including herself and others like Aljaz Skorjanec and Giovanni Pernice, are not British, highlighting the global appeal of the program.