Strictly’s AJ Pritchard opens up about dancing with Paralympian Lauren Steadman

Lauren was born without a complete right arm

Strictly

by Emma Dodds |
Updated on

The cast of Strictly Come Dancing 2018 are right in the middle of their second week of the show. After the first show last Saturday (22nd Sept), all the Strictly Come Dancing couples all got a free pass to the second week, and the first elimination will take place this weekend.

Although contestant Susannah Constantine has revealed she's not feeling super confident about her chances, Paralympic athlete Lauren Steadman and her partner AJ Pritchard appeared on Lorraine earlier this morning (27th Sept) to reveal that their training is going well.

Strictly
©AJ Pritchard & Lauren Steadman © BBC Pictures

Lauren, who is the second-ever disabled Strictly contestant after last year's Johnnie Peacock, was born without a complete right arm, and the pair opened up about how it affects their routines.

AJ revealed, "For me, when it comes down to the choreography side, obviously I’d go to grab the hand normally and it’s not there.

"When we’re doing lifts and stuff we do have to think differently about how we’d maybe somehow get you on top of my shoulders like we are this week, and throwing you around. We’ve got some interesting things coming."

Swipe through to see which dances the Strictly pairs are doing this week...

Gallery

Radio Strictly Come Dancing 2018 dances slider

Ashley Roberts and Pasha Kovalev1 of 10
CREDIT: u00a9 BBC Pictures

Ashley Roberts and Pasha Kovalev

Ashley and Pasha will dance a Foxtrot to 'Orange Coloured Sky' by Natalie Cole.

Charles Venn and Karen Clifton2 of 10
CREDIT: u00a9 BBC Pictures

Charles Venn and Karen Clifton

Charles and Karen will dance a Viennese Waltz to 'Piano Man' by Billy Joel.

Danny John-Jules and Amy Dowden3 of 10
CREDIT: u00a9 BBC Pictures

Danny John-Jules and Amy Dowden

Danny and Amy will dance a Quickstep to 'Freedom' by Pharrell Williams.

Faye Tozer and Giovanni Pernice4 of 10
CREDIT: u00a9 BBC Pictures

Faye Tozer and Giovanni Pernice

Faye and Giovanni will perform a Tango to 'Call Me' by Blondie.

Graeme Swann and Oti Mabuse5 of 10
CREDIT: u00a9 BBC Pictures

Graeme Swann and Oti Mabuse

Graeme and Oti will dance a Waltz to 'The Last Waltz' by Engelbert Humperdinck.

Joe Sugg and Dianne Buswel'6 of 10
CREDIT: u00a9 BBC Pictures

Joe Sugg and Dianne Buswell

Joe and Dianne will perform a Paso Doble to 'Pompeii' by Bastille.

Kate Silverton and Aljaz Skorjanec7 of 10
CREDIT: u00a9 BBC Pictures

Kate Silverton and Aljaz Skorjanec

Kate and Aljaz will dance an Argentine Tango to 'Assassin's Tango' by John Powell.

Lauren Steadman and AJ Pritchard8 of 10
CREDIT: u00a9 BBC Pictures

Lauren Steadman and AJ Pritchard

Lauren and AJ will dance a Jive to 'Girlfriend' by Avril Lavigne.

Dr Ranj Singh and Janette Manrara9 of 10
CREDIT: u00a9 BBC Pictures

Dr Ranj Singh and Janette Manrara

Dr. Ranj and Janette will perform a Samba to 'Freedom 90' by George Michael.

Stacey Dooley and Kevin Clifton10 of 10
CREDIT: u00a9 BBC Pictures

Stacey Dooley and Kevin Clifton

Stacey and Kevin will do a Street and Commercial dance to Alicia Keys' hit song 'Empire State of Mind'.

He added, "But the thing is, you [Lauren] just approach everything so positive – Lauren just goes in with a clear mind, there’s no right, there’s no wrong, it’s just, ‘We’ll do it’. You are fearless which definitely helps in the Charleston. The lifts are a bit scary. They’re scary for me so that means they must be scary for you up there."

He also added that their routine is an incredibly tough one, saying, "The pressure is on this week. We’re doing lifts I’ve never done before," as Lauren laughed, "That makes me feel good!"

AJ added, "It’s not an easy routine. It’s the hardest routine I’ve ever done. The lifts are the hardest I’ve ever done and it’s very quick. I feel like I shouldn’t have told her this on live TV..." Lauren replied, "It’s going to be great. They feel fine. It’s very sassy and cheeky."

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