I’m A Celebrity star AJ Pritchard’s girlfriend Abbie Quinnen reveals hitman was offered £20,000 to kill her

Hannah Hope

Published: 22:25, 21 Nov 2020
Updated: 7:45, 22 Nov 2020

I’M A Celebrity star AJ Pritchard’s girlfriend Abbie Quinnen has told how a hitman was offered £20,000 to kill her.

The terrifying death threat was issued when she and AJ were appearing in pantomime together earlier this year.

🏰 Follow our I'm A Celebrity 2020 live blog for all the latest updates

The terrifying death threat was issued when Abbie and AJ were appearing in pantomime together earlier this yearCredit: Instagram

Dancer Abbie, 23, was warned that a hitman had been given a list of dates and places where she would be performing.

It sent her into a state of shock, and police advised her to beef up her personal security.

Venues were also alerted during the subsequent AJ Live Tour, though the would-be killer was never tracked down.

Abbie, who revealed she has received several death threats since she started dating AJ last year, said: “It was the scariest thing that has ever happened to me.”

Abbie revealed she has received several death threats since she started dating AJ last yearCredit: Instagram

AJ, 26, who announced he was leaving Strictly this year, was also deeply shaken by the threat made on the dark web.

Speaking for the first time about her ordeal, Abbie recalled: “I didn’t know what to do.

“I told AJ. He was like, ‘I can’t believe this is happening’. My heart literally dropped and I remember my legs were shaking.

“You honestly see this stuff on movies and you never would expect it to happen to you. We went to the police.

Security alert . . . AJ and Curtis on tour with fellow dancers including Abbie, third from rightCredit: BackGrid

“My family were shocked too. I did play it down to them slightly as I didn’t want them to come running to where I was.”

Abbie was told by a friend in January that someone tried to hire a hitman on the dark web to kill her. She said her pal explained they were being offered between £10,000 and £20,000.

At the time, Abbie and AJ were appearing together in Peter Pan in Dunstable, Bedfordshire.

They reported it to the local police but officers were unable to trace the person behind it.

AJ is currently appearing in I'm A CelebrityCredit: ITV

Cops gave her advice on security and she made the decision with managers on the AJ Live tour to step up her personal security.

Abbie said: “It was a crazy time, but I am very grateful we did put in that extra protection.”

AJ’s younger brother, former Love Island star Curtis Pritchard, was also on the tour in March.

The 24-year-old said: “It was a scary situation and I know when we went onto the AJ Live tour we had to let every single venue that we went to know that this had taken place. We had to make them aware of the situation that your life had been threatened and you could possibly be in extreme danger and we had to bring in extra support and security.”

The hitman threats sent Abbie into a state of shock, and cops advised her to beef up her personal securityCredit: Instagram

Abbie told how it had an effect on the friend who informed her of the threat, saying: “She was actually in quite a bad state with it.”

The dancer, who has been dating AJ for around 18 months, said she still receives death threats online.

She reveals all on the ordeal on tomorrow's episode of the AJ Vs Curtis podcast: “I’ve had a few comments on my pictures where people write, ‘Die’, ‘I hate you’ and ‘Why are you still here?’

“Honestly, it’s the worst thing as I actually do read them, which is bad as AJ tells me not to.

Dancer Abbie was warned that a hitman had a list of dates and places where she would be performing

“You can’t believe there is someone at the end of their phone or laptop writing that. It does get to me and this is the first time I am actually speaking about it.”

Her revelation comes as AJ appears on the new series of I’m a Celebrity. Abbie was in isolation with him in North Wales ahead of his entry to Gwrych Castle after he tested positive for Covid. And Curtis has complained that I’m a Celeb bosses are not giving AJ enough airtime. He said: “AJ left Strictly to show his personality off and, if you want the honest truth, I haven’t seen enough of him.”

Last week, AJ was seen receiving his luxury gift from home — hair curl cream. He said: “It is very important to me because it stops my hair going frizzy, but also it reminds me of home, of feeling fresh and starting the day right.”