Latest news with #PasoDoble
Daily Mirror
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Curtis and AJ Pritchard take on biggest challenge yet for heartbreaking reason
Strictly Come Dancing professional AJ Pritchard and Love Island star Curtis Pritchard will be taking on their biggest challenge yet - as they plan to run next year's London Marathon for Marie Curie Love Island star Curtis Pritchard and former Strictly Come Dancing professional AJ Pritchard will be taking on the challenge of their lives next year - when they run the London Marathon for Marie Curie. The pair have decided to lace up their running shoes for a very important cause next year. The duo will run the London Marathon for the end of life charity and have urged others to sign up to join them for the 26.2 mile course. Speaking about their decision to run the London Marathon, AJ exclusively told The Mirror: "We always run a half marathon and we get to the end - that 13.1 miles - and I think, I don't need to run a full marathon, a half marathon is enough for me. "But to have the opportunity to run it for Marie Curie, the first time we will be running anything beyond 13.1 miles - it needs to be the right cause for the pain my legs are physically going to be enduring." He continued: "I feel - because it is our first time - we're going to absolutely love it. We're going to enjoy every moment and hope it's not as warm as it was this year! I think if I had run this marathon, I would have done a Joel Dommett and been in an ambulance." Curtis added: "It is not easy to do but the one very special thing about the marathon is the community that turns up there. There are 1000s of people in the crowd watching you; it becomes this incredible day out of meeting new people and experiencing something new. Getting that runner's buzz! People are wild when they say that! "To run the marathon, it's a cool thing to say and a cool thing to tick off your bucket list, it's a great goal and aspiration!" It is even more important for both Curtis and AJ to be running in aid of Marie Curie. The charity is there to support people and their loved ones with end of life care and is a cause close to the pair. "I think it's important for young people to talk about it. For us, it's our parents, our grandparents. Our grandma, she has passed away and it's these things you think about it when you're older - but the one thing about the passing of anyone, it can happen at any time and you don't prepare for it. That's important for us to raise awareness," AJ said. "For the people that have the opportunity to live their lives, we can go and do that. I want to take all these opportunities. Sometimes people don't have the opportunity to do that, but whatever it is you can do, take that opportunity and do it. You don't know when it's the last time you go for a run, the last time you do a Paso Doble in the studio, just take that opportunity." Away from their marathon plans, the boys are hoping to do some more reality TV. "He's always the centre of the conversation!" AJ said of his brother, "I think that Bear Grylls show on Netflix would be really good for Curtis to do. Big Brother - considering all it is being in a house and talking - that would be sick one for you." "Big Brother would be an interesting one because it's not something I have watched avidly," Curtis then chimed in as AJ added: "The reason why he's so funny and so good when he goes on these shows is because he has no idea what the hell is going on. "He goes with the flow and gets into the moment. I like to prepare and know what's coming. For myself and Curtis, we'd love something that pushes us physically and mentally." *Marie Curie has been announced as the official Charity of the Year for the 2026 TCS London Marathon. The charity is encouraging people to apply for a charity place to help Marie Curie bring expert end of life care to more people.
BBC News
13-03-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Rhys McClenaghan gets home boost ahead of TV dance final
Olympic gold medal gymnast Rhys McClenaghan "saw a challenge and accepted it" when he decided to swap the pommel horse for the Paso Doble by participating in Irish broadcaster RTÉ's Dancing with the Sunday, all of his hard work will come to end when McClenaghan and his partner Laura Nolan dance in the final of the of it, the 25-year-old from County Down has returned to his home gym where he was greeted by dozens of young, aspiring said it was "always nice" to return to his hometown of Newtownards "and just to see the support from everybody, to see everyone who has watched the show, who has been voting every week". Last summer, McClenaghan won an Olympic gold on the pommel horse in said this latest challenge has been entirely different."It's been long days, I think the biggest challenge for me is balancing the gymnastics training," he told BBC News NI. 'Not very sustainable' He said he had been dancing for six or seven hours a day, before training for four or five hours in the evening."It's not very sustainable," he explained."I'm glad the competition's coming to an end but I'm also glad that I've had the experience."Rhys said his many years of experience in gymnastics has served him well on the show."My discipline and motivation that I've really learned from gymnastics has certainly crossed over to the dancing," he said."It has pushed me through some tough days, it's made me enjoy the performance of it all as well and at the same time some new challenges have hit me in the face as well."But that's the reason I did the show, I saw a challenge and I accepted it." 'Incredible and inspiring' Rhys was joined by his dancing partner Laura at his home gym in Newtownards and she described him as a "dream student"."He really has, from start to finish, thrown himself into it and believed and trusted in everything," she said it was incredible the level the gymnast has reached. "Not only the level of tricks and lifts, which we knew he could do but the level of dance he has created has just been unbelievable."I don't think I'll ever have another partner like him. "He's so incredible and inspiring." Rhys said he had not been sure if he would reach the final, but said the fact he has made it this far and people continue to watch and support him is "a job well done"."It's very different to a gymnastics competition where it really comes down to your performance and the score that you get," he said."This is a public vote – it's half the vote each week and even coming down to the final it's only the public vote."So it's very a different kind of competition."But the support has been great and I mean – today there were kids coming in as Spiderman because it was a dream of mine as a kid to be Spiderman, so to be able to perform it live on TV in the form of a dance was a special feeling." 'Out of my comfort zone' All four couples participating in Sunday's final will complete two and Laura confirmed they would be bringing back the Spiderman themed dance from movie week where they were awarded 10 points from each of the judges. They will also perform a freestyle said bringing the winning "glitterball" trophy home would be a "really nice representation for gymnastics" and for people in his hometown."I was definitely out of my comfort zone this entire show and just accepting that you're a part of doing something special, it's a good message to have." Mum wants the main prize Tracy McClenaghan, Rhys's mum, said she did not think she could be any prouder of her son."We're really excited, it's something completely different for us."We are used to sports events to cheer on a gymnast and now all of a sudden we're at dance events. "I don't even know how this happened."Tracy admitted that when Rhys started the competition she did not think he would reach the final but now she believes he can said she would "love to have the glitterball back in Newtownards"."I had no clue he could even dance. "He said to me a few months ago 'I'm going to do Dancing with the Stars' and I looked at him and said 'can you dance?' and he said: 'I don't know, I'm sure I'll pick it up'."That's Rhys' typical attitude really, he just loves a challenge." Suzie Allen's daughters Summer and Savannah attend gymnastics classes at Rhys' home gym. She said both Rhys and Laura are brilliant role models."The girls go to Origin gymnastics, but they also dance, so they love what he's doing, they'll hopefully be able to do [so] one day as well and be as fit as him."
