AJ Pritchard finds it "unbelievable" watching Lauren Steadman rehearsing ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ lifts with one arm.
The 24-year-old professional dancer admits it is "impossible" to perform some show stunts with the Paralympian – who was born without a complete right arm – but he has found her "so inspirational" to work with throughout the series, and they are both determined to taste success on the show.
He said: "I feel like the past couple of weeks with Lauren her confidence has grown so much, and I feel like it’s the start of the competition for us.
"Every time she comes into the studio now she just wants to learn and she’s really pushing herself.
"She’s so inspirational. Even the simple things, tying her hair and doing her shoe buckles up with one hand.
"The things that she does is unbelievable.
"When it comes to the lifts and the dancing, I have to stand back at times and watch her back on the video, and I’m like, ‘You’ve got one arm and you’re doing these lifts.’ It’s unbelievable.
"We both have that sports mentality – we will make it work. Sometimes we do try things and the hand is not there so it’s just impossible. We’ll always find our own way and we’ll never be beaten.
"We turn it into a positive. It’s more unique in our way. Nobody does it like us because nobody is in this situation."
AJ also admitted more people have been approaching Lauren to speak to her about being a ‘Strictly’ success of late, rather than to look at her arm.
Speaking on ‘Lorraine’, he added: "I asked Lauren, ‘Why do you want to do the show?’ She said, ‘I just want to inspire young children to wake up in the morning and really think that they’re happy to be here.’
"Usually people come up to her and say, ‘Congratulations,’ as a Paralympian, and start looking at her arm.
"Now in Portsmouth, in her home town, they walk up to her and say, ‘Congratulations for ‘Strictly’,’ and they walk up to her and give her a hug.
"There’s never an awareness of her arm. It’s so lovely people are seeing her as Lauren Steadman, not ‘I’ve got one arm.’ For her it was the nicest thing ever."
This comes after AJ Previously admitted he finds it "scary" performing lifts on ‘Strictly’.
He said: "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. But the thing is you 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."
AJ Pritchard amazed by ‘unbelievable’ Lauren Steadman
