‘Strictly Come Dancing’ pro AJ Pritchard has claimed he’s not ruling out a romance with his partner Lauren Steadman in the future.

So far this year, AJ and Lauren have had an easy time in the competition, avoiding the bottom two and winning praise from the judges for routines like their Halloween Paso Doble and their Couple’s Choice Contemporary routine, the first time such a dance has ever been performed on ‘Strictly’.

Speaking about their pair’s relationship behind the scenes, AJ told The Mirror: “I am very protective of Lauren because we have worked so close together.

“There are different things that she will talk about in training that she would never talk about on camera.”

He continued: “It’s for that reason that we have grown so close together and we will be friends for life and who knows in the future..? You never know what is going to happen.”

This week, the Paralympic athlete will be tackling the Argentine Tango, when ‘Strictly’ takes its annual trip up north for a special episode filmed live from Blackpool Tower.

In last year’s series, AJ was partnered with former Saturdays singer Mollie King, with the two regularly being romantically linked in the media, despite repeatedly insisting that their relationship was strictly professional.

Even the ‘Strictly’ team seemed convinced the pair were an item (or, at least, they were dying for them to get together), with Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly joking about it during one of their links, and the professional dancers even chanting live on air for Mollie and AJ to “kiss” after a routine.

‘Strictly Come Dancing’ continues on Saturday night at 6.45pm on BBC One.