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AJ Pritchard reacts to shocking outcome following brutal nightclub attack

Find out why the case against AJ and Curtis Pritchard's attackers has been dropped

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Emmy Griffiths
TV & Film Editor
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AJ Pritchard has revealed that the police won't be pursuing any legal action against the suspects who attacked him and his brother, Curtis Pritchard, in a nightclub back in 2018. Calling the outcome "disappointing" during a visit on This Morning, the Strictly Come Dancing professional told Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby that they had dropped the case due to a lack of evidence.

Curtis needed knee surgery following the attack

Despite the disappointing outcome, AJ spoke of his relief that he and his brother were back to full health. Curtis was badly hurt after the pair were targeted by a group of eight men during a night out in Cheshire in December, and underwent an emergency operation to correct damage to his knee, while AJ received bruising to his face, arms, body and legs. Previously speaking about the incident to The Sun, AJ explained: "Curtis risked his own dancing career to save mine as he threw himself in front of the attackers so they couldn't get to me. He was thinking of both my dancing career with my legs and my TV career with my face. He tried to protect me and in doing so saved my life and my legs from danger."

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The brothers are close friends

READ: Strictly stars' secret dancefloor conversations exposed as mics left on during Movie Week

Speaking about the possible motives behind the incident, Love Islandstar Curtis explained: "I can only say perhaps it was [due to] jealousy, because AJ was doing a couple of photos with people. He's a good looking lad. I was the one getting asked to take the photos, which is fine," to which his brother added: "If someone comes up to me and asks me for a photo, if they do it politely, I'm always going to say yes." Speaking of his sadness about the attack, AJ continued: "The really sad thing in this scenario was that we were just out to have a good time, and it came from nowhere. There was none of us in the first place causing a hassle or anything, we were not there for that scenario, that's what is really sad for us."

READ: Strictly's AJ Pritchard and Saffron Barker reveal why this week's dance is SO emotional