Curtis Pritchard
{{short description|English dancer and choreographer (born 1996)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2019}}
{{infobox person
| name = Curtis Pritchard
| image =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1996|02|08}}
| birth_place = Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England
| occupation = {{flatlist|
}}
| television = Dancing with the Stars
Love Island
The Greatest Dancer
Hollyoaks
Celebs Go Dating
Love Island Games
Love Island: All Stars
| height = {{height|m=1.85|precision=0}}
| years_active = 2017–present
| relatives = AJ Pritchard (Brother)
}}
Curtis Pritchard (born 8 February 1996) is an English dancer and choreographer, known for his role as a professional dancer on the Irish version of Dancing with the Stars. In 2019, Pritchard appeared in the fifth series of the British dating reality series Love Island, finishing in fourth place. In 2021, Pritchard appeared on reality dating show Celebs Go Dating.{{Cite web |last=Maguire |first=Jamie |title=Love Island Star Curtis Pritchard Signs Up To Celebs Go Dating |url=https://www.spinsouthwest.com/celeb/love-island-curtis-prichard-celebs-go-dating-1107149 |access-date=2025-01-19 |website=SPINSouthWest |language=en}} In 2023, Pritchard competed on Love Island Games. In 2025, he was announced as contestant on series 2 of Love Island: All Stars.
Early life
Pritchard was born on 8 February 1996 in Sneyd Green, Stoke-on-Trent, England.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ok.co.uk/celebrity-news/love-island-maura-curtis-birthday-21456275|title=Love Island's Maura Higgins pens sweet birthday message to Curtis Pritchard|first=Ayla|last=Soguksu|date=8 February 2020|website=OK! Magazine|access-date=8 February 2020|archive-date=26 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200926092326/https://www.ok.co.uk/celebrity-news/love-island-maura-curtis-birthday-21456275|url-status=live}}
Dancing career
=''Dancing with the Stars''=
In 2017, Pritchard was announced as one of the professional dancers for the first series of Ireland's Dancing with the Stars.{{Cite web|url=http://www.irishmirror.ie/showbiz/irish-showbiz/rtes-dancing-stars-professionals-been-9469316|title=RTE's Dancing With The Stars professionals have been revealed|last=McGowan|first=Sharon|date=2016-12-16|website=irishmirror|access-date=2018-12-21|archive-date=21 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181221230939/https://www.irishmirror.ie/showbiz/irish-showbiz/rtes-dancing-stars-professionals-been-9469316|url-status=live}} He was partnered with model Thalia Heffernan.{{Cite web|url=http://goss.ie/showbiz/watch-thalia-heffernan-shows-sneak-peak-dancing-debut-95013|title=WATCH: Thalia Heffernan shows sneak peak[sic] of dancing debut|first=Emma|last=Costello|date=2017-01-10|website=Goss.ie|language=en-US|access-date=2018-12-22|archive-date=22 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181222173049/http://goss.ie/showbiz/watch-thalia-heffernan-shows-sneak-peak-dancing-debut-95013|url-status=live}} They were eliminated in week four of the competition, finishing in tenth place.{{Cite web|url=https://evoke.ie/2017/01/29/showbiz/dwts-ireland-week-four-eliminated-thalia-heffernan|title=[SPOILER] Goes Home In DWTS In SHOCKING Elimination|last=Hutch|first=Eleanore|date=2017-01-29|website=EVOKE.ie|language=en-US|access-date=2018-12-22|archive-date=22 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181222173053/https://evoke.ie/2017/01/29/showbiz/dwts-ireland-week-four-eliminated-thalia-heffernan|url-status=live}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/tv-radio-web/dancing-with-the-stars-no-hollywood-ending-for-thalia-heffernan-as-she-s-voted-off-1.2956111|title=Dancing with the Stars: no Hollywood ending for Thalia Heffernan as she's voted off|last=Bruton|first=Louise|newspaper=The Irish Times|language=en|access-date=2018-12-22|archive-date=6 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190406213451/https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/tv-radio-web/dancing-with-the-stars-no-hollywood-ending-for-thalia-heffernan-as-she-s-voted-off-1.2956111|url-status=live}}
In 2018, Pritchard was partnered with businesswoman Norah Casey.{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/television/tv-news/dwts-contestant-norah-casey-on-training-regime-im-already-a-stone-lighter-and-im-almost-an-inch-taller-36465013.html|title=DWTS contestant Norah Casey on training regime: 'I'm already a stone lighter and I'm almost an inch taller'|website=Independent.ie|language=en|access-date=2018-12-22|archive-date=22 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181222082304/https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/television/tv-news/dwts-contestant-norah-casey-on-training-regime-im-already-a-stone-lighter-and-im-almost-an-inch-taller-36465013.html|url-status=live}} On 21 January, Casey and Pritchard became the first couple to be eliminated from the competition.{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/television/tv-news/norah-casey-becomes-the-first-contestant-to-hang-up-her-dancing-shoes-on-dwts-36513847.html|title=Norah Casey becomes the first contestant to hang up her dancing shoes on DWTS|website=Independent.ie|language=en|access-date=2018-12-22|archive-date=22 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181222082307/https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/television/tv-news/norah-casey-becomes-the-first-contestant-to-hang-up-her-dancing-shoes-on-dwts-36513847.html|url-status=live}}
For the 2019 series, Pritchard was due to be partnered with model Holly Carpenter, but following an attack on 27 December 2018, he was ruled out competing for five weeks. He was replaced by former Strictly Come Dancing professional, Trent Whiddon.{{Cite web |url=https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2019/0104/1020294-dancing-with-the-stars/ |title=DWTS reveals Holly Carpenter's new dance partner |date=4 January 2019 |via=www.rte.ie |website=rte.ie |access-date=20 November 2019 |archive-date=9 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191109121454/https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2019/0104/1020294-dancing-with-the-stars/ |url-status=live}} In November 2019, Pritchard confirmed that he would not return for a fourth series.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rsvplive.ie/news/celebs/curtis-pritchard-officially-quits-rtes-20808386|title=Curtis Pritchard officially QUITS RTE's Dancing with the Stars after three years|last=O'Loughlin|first=Mikie|date=2019-11-04|website=rsvp|access-date=2019-11-04|archive-date=4 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191104212209/https://www.rsvplive.ie/news/celebs/curtis-pritchard-officially-quits-rtes-20808386|url-status=live}}
| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin:auto; text-align:center;"
!Series !Partner !Place |
| 1
|10th |
| bgcolor="orange"
|2 |11th |
= [[Dancing with the Stars (Irish series 1)|Series 1]] (2017)=
; Celebrity partner
: Thalia Heffernan; Average: 19; Place: 10th
| class="wikitable collapsible"
! rowspan="2" style="background:#ccc; text-align:Center;" |Week No. ! rowspan="2" style="background:#ccc; text-align:Center;" |Dance/Song ! colspan="3" style="background:#ccc; text-align:Center;" |Judges' score ! rowspan="2" style="background:#ccc; text-align:Center;" |Total ! rowspan="2" style="background:#ccc; text-align:Center;" |Result |
| style="text-align:center; background:#ccc;"
| style="width:10%; " |Redmond | style="width:10%; " |Barry | style="width:10%; " |Benson |
| style="text-align:center; background:#faf6f6;"
|1 |No dance performed | – | – | – | – | rowspan="2" |No elimination |
| style="text-align:center; background:#faf6f6;"
|2 |Quickstep / "Counting Stars" |5 |5 |6 |16 |
| style="text-align:center; background:#faf6f6;"
|3 |Rumba / "High Hopes" |7 |7 |7 |21 |Safe |
| style="text-align:center; background:#faf6f6;"
|4 |6 |7 |7 |20 |Eliminated |
= [[Dancing with the Stars (Irish series 2)|Series 2]] (2018) =
; Celebrity partner
: Norah Casey; Average: 16; Place: 11th
| class="wikitable collapsible"
! rowspan="2" style="background:#ccc; text-align:Center;" |Week No. ! rowspan="2" style="background:#ccc; text-align:Center;" |Dance/Song ! colspan="3" style="background:#ccc; text-align:Center;" |Judges' score ! rowspan="2" style="background:#ccc; text-align:Center;" |Total ! rowspan="2" style="background:#ccc; text-align:Center;" |Result |
| style="text-align:center; background:#ccc;"
| style="width:10%; " |Redmond | style="width:10%; " |Barry | style="width:10%; " |Benson |
| style="text-align:center; background:#faf6f6;"
|1 |No dance performed | – | – | – | – | rowspan="2" |No elimination |
| style="text-align:center; background:#faf6f6;"
|2 |5 |5 |5 |15 |
| style="text-align:center; background:#faf6f6"
|3 |Paso Doble / "Señorita" |5 |6 |6 |17 |Eliminated |
Other ventures
= Television =
In June 2019, Pritchard began appearing as a contestant on the fifth series of the ITV2 dating reality series Love Island.{{cite web |title=Who is Curtis Pritchard? Meet the Love Island series 5 contestant and Dancing with the Stars professional |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2019-05-27/love-island-2019-curtis-pritchard-strictly-aj-pritchard/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190527210728/https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2019-05-27/love-island-2019-curtis-pritchard-strictly-aj-pritchard/ |archive-date=27 May 2019 |access-date=27 May 2019 |website=Radio Times}} In July 2019, it was announced that Pritchard, along with his brother AJ, would appear as guest choreographers on the BBC Three reality series RuPaul's Drag Race UK.{{Cite web |last=Miller |first=Adam |date=24 July 2019 |title=Love Island's Curtis Pritchard confirmed for RuPaul's Drag Race UK - seriously |url=https://metro.co.uk/2019/07/24/love-islands-curtis-pritchard-confirmed-rupauls-drag-race-uk-seriously-10452395/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190726084049/https://metro.co.uk/2019/07/24/love-islands-curtis-pritchard-confirmed-rupauls-drag-race-uk-seriously-10452395/ |archive-date=26 July 2019 |access-date=2019-07-26}}{{Cite web |title=Love Island's Curtis Pritchard joins Ru Paul's Drag Race as guest judge |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/entertainment/reality-tv/love-islands-curtis-pritchard-joins-ru-pauls-drag-race-as-guest-judge/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190726084043/https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2019-07-24/love-islands-curtis-pritchard-joins-ru-pauls-drag-race-as-guest-judge/amp/ |archive-date=26 July 2019 |access-date=2019-07-26 |website=Radio Times |language=en-US}} In December 2019 Pritchard appeared alongside his Love Island colleague Tommy Fury in a series called The Boxer and The Ballroom Dancer on ITV2 in which they swapped careers, with Pritchard taking up boxing and Fury trying ballroom dancing.{{Cite news |date=5 December 2019 |title=Love Island’s Tommy Fury and Curtis Pritchard swap lives in new TV series |url=https://www.metro.co.uk/2019/12/05/love-islands-tommy-fury-and-curtis-pritchard-swap-lives-in-new-tv-series-11272012/ |access-date=2 February 2023 |work=Metro}} 2020 saw him appear in BBC One's The Greatest Dancer as a receptionist.{{Cite web |title=Curtis Pritchard joins BBC One's The Greatest Dancer |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2019/the-greatest-dancer-cp |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190808173254/https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2019/the-greatest-dancer-cp |archive-date=8 August 2019 |access-date=8 August 2019 |website=BBC}} Later that year, it was announced that he would be starring in Celebs Go Dating: The Mansion.{{Cite news |date=25 November 2020 |title=Corrie star signs up for Celebs Go Dating with Wayne Lineker also in the line-up |url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/tv/corrie-star-signs-up-celebs-19342994 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201125190001/https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/tv/corrie-star-signs-up-celebs-19342994 |archive-date=25 November 2020 |access-date=27 November 2020 |work=Manchester Evening News}} In February 2021, it was announced that Pritchard would be making his acting debut in the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, alongside his brother.{{Cite news |date=7 February 2021 |title=AJ and Curtis Pritchard to join Hollyoaks as twin brothers in first acting role |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/breaking-aj-curtis-pritchard-join-23458292.amp |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210207165242/https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/breaking-aj-curtis-pritchard-join-23458292.amp |archive-date=7 February 2021 |access-date=7 February 2021 |work=Daily Mirror}} He portrayed the role of Jacob; their acting abilities were the subject of widespread criticism.{{cite news |last1=Anderton |first1=Joe |date=24 May 2021 |title=AJ and Curtis Pritchard respond to backlash over their acting in Hollyoaks appearance |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/hollyoaks/a36514114/aj-curtis-pritchard-hollyoaks-acting-backlash/ |access-date=24 May 2021 |work=Digital Spy |publisher=Hearst Magazines UK}} In February 2023, Pritchard competed on the reality-competition series The Challenge UK.{{cite web |last=Cartmill |first=Claire |title=The Challenge UK is a sporting fight for £100,000 |url=https://www.newsletter.co.uk/arts-and-culture/film-and-tv/the-challenge-uk-is-a-sporting-fight-for-ps100000-4031062 |accessdate=23 February 2023 |website=News Letter}} In November 2023, Pritchard was a contestant on the first season of Love Island Games.{{Cite web |title=Love Island Games cast: Full line-up of contestants |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/entertainment/reality-tv/love-island-games-cast-line-up/ |access-date=2023-10-08 |website=Radio Times |language=en-GB}} In January 2025, Pritchard was announced as a contestant on Love Island: All Stars.{{Cite web |date=2025-01-07 |title=Love Island All Stars: Curtis and Kaz among returning islanders |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2dx9ryjz10o.amp |access-date=2025-01-07 |website=BBC News |language=en-gb}}
= Boxing =
On 23 February 2025, Pritchard announced that he would be partaking in a Survivor Tag boxing bout on KSI's Misfits Boxing, consisting of himself, jewellery collector Godson Umeh, influencer Big Tobz, and former MFB heavyweight champion Tempo Arts.{{Cite web |last=Misfits Boxing |date=11 March 2025 |title=‼️FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENT‼️ 12th of April we bring you an absolutely stacked card with Idris Virgo and Ty Mitchell fighting it out for the MFB PRO Light heavy weight title. Your not going to want to miss this one 👀 |url=https://x.com/MisfitsBoxing/status/1899553876673548380 |website=Twitter}} The bout was originally scheduled to take place on 12 April at the Valliant Live in Derby on MF & DAZN: X 22 – Blinders & Brawls, but was later rescheduled for May 16 after X Series 21 – Unfinished Business, was cancelled following KSI withdrawing.{{Cite web |last=Martin |first=Damon |date=17 April 2025 |title=Darren Till vs. Darren Stewart clash rescheduled for Misfits Boxing 21 main event next month |url=https://www.mmafighting.com/2025/4/17/24410650/darren-till-vs-darren-stewart-clash-rescheduled-for-misfits-boxing-21-main-event-next-month |website=MMA Fighting}} During the bout, Tobz was the first to be eliminated after the third round, with Umeh following after the fourth. The final round was a traditional one on one bout between Pritchard and Arts, with Arts being declared the winner accumulating 138–142 points.{{Cite web |last=K. Lee |first=Alexander |date=16 May 2025 |title=Misfits Boxing 21 live blog: Darren Till vs. Darren Stewart |url=https://www.mmafighting.com/2025/5/16/24431130/misfits-boxing-21-live-blog-darren-till-vs-darren-stewart |website=MMA Fighting}}
Personal life
From 2016 Pritchard was in a relationship with fellow Dancing with the Stars professional dancer, Emily Barker. In early 2019 it was reported the couple were no longer an item.{{Cite web|last=Townsend|first=Michelle|date=2019-01-04|title=Emily Barker and boyfriend Curtis Pritchard break up|url=https://www.rsvplive.ie/news/celebs/dancing-stars-curtis-pritchard-split-13813392|access-date=2021-09-10|website=RSVP Live|language=en}}
On 27 December 2018, he and his brother AJ, along with two others, were attacked in an "unprovoked assault" on a night out in Nantwich. He needed an emergency operation to his knee and was unable to appear on Dancing with the Stars. A 20-year-old man was arrested and released.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-46709331|title=Strictly star AJ attacked at a nightclub|date=29 December 2018|publisher=BBC Newsbeat|access-date=29 December 2018|archive-date=29 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181229222838/https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-46709331|url-status=live}}
In late 2019, Pritchard briefly dated Maura Higgins following their appearance together on Love Island. In March 2020, Higgins confirmed that they had split.{{Cite web|last=Harp|first=Justin|date=2020-03-02|title=Love Island's Maura Higgins confirms split from Curtis Pritchard|url=https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/reality-tv/a31196324/love-island-maura-higgins-curtis-pritchard-split/|access-date=2021-09-10|website=Digital Spy|language=en-GB}}
Pritchard began a relationship with Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu after meeting on the second series of Love Island: All Stars in early 2025.{{Cite web |date=2025-01-22 |title=Ekin-Su and Curtis decide they are ‘closed off’ on Love Island: All Stars |url=https://www.breakingnews.ie/entertainment/ekin-su-and-curtis-decide-they-are-closed-off-on-love-island-all-stars-1720882.html |access-date=2025-02-19 |website=BreakingNews.ie |language=en}} They announced their split a few months later, in May of that year.{{Cite web |title=Love Island's Ekin-Su Announces Split from Curtis Pritchard 3 Months After Leaving the 'All Stars' Villa: 'Really Tough Decision' |url=https://people.com/love-island-ekin-su-cuelcueloglu-splits-from-curtis-pritchard-11743657 |access-date=2025-05-31 |website=People.com |language=en}}
Boxing Record
= Survivor Tag =
{{BoxingRecordSummary
|draws=
|nc=
|ko-wins=
|ko-losses=
|dec-wins=
|dec-losses=1
|dq-wins=
|dq-losses=
}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |
| {{abbr|No.|Number}}
!Result !Record !Opponents !Type !Round, time !Date !Location !Notes |
|---|
| rowspan="3" |1
| rowspan="3" {{no2}}Loss | rowspan="3" |0–1 | style="text-align:left;" |Tempo Arts | rowspan="3" |{{abbr|PTS|Points decision}} | rowspan="3" |5 | rowspan="3" |16 May 2025 | rowspan="3" style="text-align:left;" |{{Small|Vaillant Live, Derby, England}} | rowspan="3" style="text-align:left;" |{{small|Arts won on points. |
| style="text-align:left;"|Big Tobz |
| style="text-align:left;"|Godson Umeh |
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|nm10378473}}
- {{Twitter|id=CurtisPritchard|name=Curtis Pritchard}}
{{Dancing with the Stars (Ireland)}}
{{Love Island}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pritchard, Curtis}}
Category:British ballroom dancers
Category:Love Island (2015 TV series) contestants
Category:Entertainers from Stoke-on-Trent