As Curtis Pritchard gets a career resurgence on Love Island: All Stars, his brother AJ Pritchard reveals secret debt battle and says 'people assume we're millionaires but every single day, I am brought back to reality' - lulu
Strictly Come Dancing professional AJ Pritchard has opened up about getting into debt and the pressure of people 'assuming your a millionaire'.
As his younger brother Curtis, 28, enjoys something of a career resurgence after going into Love Island: All Stars this week, AJ, 30, discussed his own financial situation.
AJ explained how he has been on a 'rollercoaster' being a professional dancer where the next job is never guaranteed.
Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, AJ revealed that he and Curtis were thrown into debt during the Covid-19 pandemic because their dance tour was instantly stopped but they made the hard decision to 'pay all their dancers because it was the right thing to do.'
He said: 'We had a company where we were running our own tour and the tour was literally cut short. We paid all of our dancers because personally I felt like that was the right thing to do and we ended up with a VAT bill, which came out of our own pocket.
'We didn't get paid, myself or Curtis, but we paid all of our dancers and it's a hard decision to be made, but that's what it is when you are running your own company.
Former Strictly Come Dancing professional AJ Pritchard has opened up about debt and the pressure of people 'assuming your a millionaire'
The interview comes as his younger brother Curtis (pictured) appears in Love Island: All Stars, enjoying something of a career resurgence
'They definitely did appreciate it and I maybe didn't appreciate the debt that I was left in, but hey, it's a decision that was made.'
AJ said it is hard when a lot of his friends think he's a 'millionaire' after starring on Strictly for four years from 2016 to 2019, but he explained that after the amount of hours they put into the BBC show and paid their taxes and VAT, the figure he earns is nowhere near that.
The dancer said: 'I think a lot of people expect you to go on to Strictly or Love Island and instantly be a millionaire. Once you've paid your tax and your VATs and if you're a limited company that's not even close.
'I think transparency is a positive thing in this day and age, but most people don't really want to talk about their finances.
'And I think people are intrigued by money. People love to see numbers and love to see nice things, and a lot of times you need to live within your own means.'
After leaving shows like Strictly and Love Island, Curtis and AJ, who were just normal people before, were thrown into a number of big money deals and AJ says some people have no idea how to handle that kind of sum of cash.
Former I'm A Celebrity star AJ revealed he and Curtis 'want to make a difference' and have set up 'using our own money' a financial investment company called FINT to help to 'educate' people.
The brothers are hoping to get a 'government grant' at some point to help teenagers and young adults understand money more by taking the education side into schools and universities.
AJ believes it is 'very important' to be 'transparent' when discussing money but explained how he has been on a 'roller coaster' being a professional dancer as the next job is never guaranteed
Speaking exclusively to Mail Online, AJ revealed that he and Curtis were thrown into debt during the Covid-19 pandemic because their dance tour was instantly stopped and they made the hard decision to 'pay all their dancers because it was the right thing to do'
AJ said it is hard when a lot of his friends have 'preconceptions' of him being a 'millionaire' after starring on Strictly for four years from 2016 to 2019, but explained that it was not the case; pictured with former dance partner Saffron Barker
![He said: 'I think a lot of people expect you to go on to Strictly and instantly be a millionaire. Once you've paid your tax and your VATs and if you're a limited company that's not even close [to being a millionaire]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/16/11/94159905-14291119-image-m-14_1737025415386.jpg)
He said: 'I think a lot of people expect you to go on to Strictly and instantly be a millionaire. Once you've paid your tax and your VATs and if you're a limited company that's not even close [to being a millionaire]
He continued: 'People come out of these shows and do get paid a good amount of money. There's definitely a rollercoaster on the money side [because it doesn't last].
'That's the reason why myself and Curtis and our business partner Wes have set up a financial investment company because we want to help better educate people about their personal finance and it's good that people are talking about money. I think it's amazing.
'I did Strictly becuase it was my dream rather than for the money. I love to dance and love to perform and be on stage.
He added: 'Curt came out of the villa [for the first time in 2019], he may have spent a bit too much money and then you have to bring it all back and think about it and really educate yourself of understanding what goes in and what comes out.
'I'm always very OCD I'm very good with my money and my numbers because that's kind of the way my brain works and Curtis is very creative.
'But if you're not taught the knowledge of investing and how to understand even what a simple paycheck is these days, let's just add it into a national curriculum.
'It's not hard, if we invested in kids when we were younger about their fitness, their health, their finances, it would definitely save the government a lot of money in the future.'
AJ became very open about how sometimes the TV bookings and photoshoots can suddenly stop and stars have to learn how to 'adapt' their career.
He continued: 'It's really hard. I think in our industry, the entertainment industry and a lot of other industries right now because a lot of people are being laid off. It does play on your mental health if you don't have that next job.
AJ revealed he and Curtis 'want to make a difference' and have set up 'using our own money' a financial investment company called FINT to help to 'educate' people
Every day people are facing the cost of living crisis and AJ admitted he is no different and is regularly snapped back into the 'real world' as he's noticed the dramatic increase in everyday items; pictured on I'm A Celeb in 2020
He explained: 'Every single day I’m brought back to reality, I pulled up on the petrol pump today and the diesel was 10p more expensive, that's the real world. Life is going to be hard for a lot of people and I don't think it's going to get any easier'
'Myself and Curtis have invested money, from my very first paycheck on Strictly I've always had that money invested into different portfolios. So therefore, if I didn't have a job in six months time, I do have money there that I can draw on if I need it.
'And at the end of the day, there are always jobs out there. It's just sometimes having to change what it is you think you are going to do and adapt a little bit, adapting is hard but you do have to adapt sometimes.
'And it's important that people go into these big shows that they're enjoying but they have a profession behind them like myself and Curt we're both professional dancers, we can go all over the world and teach.'
Every day people are facing the cost of living crisis and AJ admitted he is no different and is regularly snapped back into the 'real world' as he's noticed the dramatic increase in everyday items.
He explained: 'Every single day I’m brought back to reality, I pulled up on the petrol pump today and the diesel was 10P more expensive due to well decisions that have been made much higher up than my paycheck, that's the real world.
'I was like, "What 10p more expensive from yesterday to today", like that’s crazy. I think people forget, the cost of living and inflation's gone up.
'Even when inflation comes down it doesn't mean that it goes back to what it was. Life is going to be hard for a lot of people this year and I don't think it's going to get any easier.'
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