Strictly's AJ Pritchard breaks down in tears and reveals he's delayed his wedding to achieve his dream of being a pro on Dancing With The Stars

AJ Pritchard broke down in tears as he revealed he delayed his wedding to take part in Dancing With The Stars: The Pros. The former Strictly star, 31, is one of the professional dancers battling it out to get a contract to join the DWTS cast this season. And the pressure appeared to get too much for AJ, who has so far reached week five and is one of the last five remaining. Crying, Nina Mayster, who is also competing, came to offer some support. He said: 'Just like the stress and exhaustion, especially when you do a routine and just want it to be perfect. For years and years I’ve wanted this and I don’t want to go home.' Nina told him: 'It’s not going to happen. Stop it. Don’t even think like that.' AJ Pritchard broke down in tears as he revealed he delayed his wedding to take part in Dancing With The Stars : The Pros AJ revealed he has had to put his wedding to fiancée Zara Zoffany, 32, on holdAJ said: 'I put myself under maybe too much pressure. Because I want to show how much this means to me. 'I’ve sacrificed so much to be here and do this. I’ve had to move my wedding. It’s overwhelming when I actually think about the lengths I’ve gone to. 'To not achieve what I’ve given up everything for would just be so disappointing'.AJ, who was a professional dancer on Strictly between 2016 and 2019, proposed to fiancée Zara Zoffany, 32, in March last year after they first started dating in 2022. It comes after AJ's former Strictly Come Dancing co-star weighed in on him competing in the Dancing With The Stars spin-off. Strictly's head judge Shirley Ballas was cast to judge the series, alongside her son Mark, who competes on Dancing With The Stars.Oti noted that AJ has a connection with Shirley, who has been one of his 'main teachers' in dance since he was a young boy.She said: 'I've already stated as well in the past that all the contestants feel like they have a certain connection to the panel, especially that panel, where I'm saying Derek, Mark, and Shirley, and in the UK, it is well documented and well known that Shirley has been one of AJ's main teachers since he was a tiny tot, and so that's their connection, and that's probably how he ended up on the show.' The pressure appeared to get too much for AJ, who has so far reached week five and is one of the last five remaining (pictured with Selena Hamilton)Oti said she was personally so grateful for the platform she was given by Strictly, which has led her to opportunities such as being head judge on the Irish iteration.She went on to suggest that many dancers consider the US show to be the 'mothership' of all of the versions of the programme across the globe.Oti said: 'There are over 50 Dancing with the Stars all over the world. It would be crazy to think that some of these kids do not look at America as the mothership, and they see the routines, they see the pros, they see the opportunities the pros have.'Going back to AJ, Oti told her followers: ‘But yeah, this one, if he wins it, we also don’t know if he will win it. I don’t think we should hold anything against him. The only thing is, will his personality be palatable for an American audience? That’s it, because it’s also you gotta get on with people, right?‘That’s the only thing is will he get on with his fellow contestants and later on the fellow pros? But other than that, I wish him good luck. I genuinely, genuinely wish him good luck, and I think go on, AJ, smash it.’It is understood that Oti and AJ didn't exactly see eye to eye while both working on the ballroom show and tension between them was noted by their co-stars.Oti's recent comments apparently just back up what has been brewing behind the scenes about the state of their relations, but has previously not been public knowledge. The Daily Mail has contacted AJ Pritchard for further comment.