AJ Pritchard's GB News Debut Met with Mockery, Dubbed 'Impression of a Newsman'
Journalist Marina Hyde suggests the viral reception of the former dancer's presenting may be commercially useful for the struggling channel.
AJ Pritchard's initial appearance as a presenter on GB News has drawn significant criticism, with journalist Marina Hyde describing his performance as an "impression of a hard-hitting news man." The former Strictly Come Dancing professional made his debut on the program "The Saturday Five" earlier this month.
His first broadcast was quickly met with a wave of online commentary regarding his delivery, with one video of his performance reportedly reaching 1.7 million views and the presenter trending on Google. A viewer's question on X, "Since when was a dancing professional a journalist?" reflected a common sentiment.
On "The Rest Is Entertainment" podcast, Hyde discussed Pritchard's new role, suggesting that GB News hired him to capitalize on the viral market rather than for his journalistic acumen. "Everyone is trying to get some kind of hook into the viral market," Hyde stated. "They have tiny audiences and we have this legacy idea that these shows are important."
She further elaborated that for news channels with limited viewership, "Anything that sticks out or makes a clippable moment for these news channels is supposed to be worth it." Hyde posited that the widespread attention, despite its critical nature, might be considered a success. "So the fact that this clip of AJ doing it very, very badly has gone viral, it might be regarded as some kind of win. It might be the most commercially useful thing that happened on GB news in 24 hours," she said.
Co-host Richard Osman agreed, noting that news channels often struggle with profitability and that GB News might be aiming to mitigate losses. He suggested that the situation could be beneficial for both Pritchard and the channel, as it provides a platform for the former dancer to improve his skills and gain visibility for future opportunities.
Pritchard, who rose to fame on "Strictly Come Dancing" from 2016 to 2019, left the show with the aim of building a television presenting career with his brother, Curtis Pritchard. Their previous roles included a stint on the soap opera "Hollyoaks" and numerous reality television appearances.
Earlier this year, Pritchard competed on the American show "Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro," finishing as runner-up. His time on the US program was marked by critiques of his "constant critique" of his dance partner and accusations of arrogance from a show favorite. Oti Mabuse, a former "Strictly" co-star, commented that Pritchard could "rub people up the wrong way" and appeared to be acting from a place of fear and insecurity on the US show.