Mum keeps us grounded and living within our means

She says: “There was no doubt they were going to go into showbiz as their life revolved around the dance school me and my husband, who was a ballroom champ, ran.

“They were little darlings before they even started dancing but I wanted my boys to have freedom to be lads and have fun before they turned 11, which is when they decided to dance.

“Before that, they went on quad bikes and played. We knew how hard it was in any form of entertainment business, so we were reluctant at first. But then they wanted to dance and I had to cajole their dad into letting them.”

AJ was partnered with Chloe Hewitt from their dance school. They went on to represent Britain in dance contests around the world, won the National Youth Latin Championships three times from 2012 to 2014 and made the 2013 semi-final of Britain’s Got Talent.

In 2015, they became the British Open Youth Latin Champions and the European Youth Latin Champions.

AJ hit the big time a year later when he became a pro on Strictly Come Dancing. He only failed to reach the semi-final in 2019, with vlogger Saffron Barker.

He has left the BBC hit show but in November won an army of new fans by taking part in ITV’S I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!, set in a Welsh castle because of Covid restrictions. Curtis, 25, also became a professional dancer and appeared on Ireland’s version of Dancing with the Stars. He was also in 2019’s Love Island and the receptionist for the BBC’S The Greatest Dancer last year.

The brothers have also worked together on Rupaul’s Drag Race UK and are joining Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks, playing twins.

Debi says: “I am so proud of my boys. it’s nice to reflect because normally we are always on to the next thing and I don’t have time to pat them on the back and say they did well.

“They always had a goal, a lot of their teenage years they sacrificed. It was the way it was.

“If you look at child stars like Britney Spears, they became a victim of their own success and they could implode.

“I feel like AJ and Curtis have had to work so hard for each step. The first part of their life I was going to keep them grounded.”

But life has not been all plain sailing for the lads. They and two others suffered an “unprovoked assault” on a night out in Cheshire in December 2018.

Attacked

AJ’S face, arms, legs and body were bruised, while Curtis needed an emergency knee operation – and could not appear on Dancing with the Stars. A man aged 20 was arrested and released.

Debi says: “When they were attacked in the nightclub, that changed things. It led to Curtis doing Love Island.

“For the first time ever there was a dent in the belief of ‘good’ because bad things can happen.

“When I went to the hospital that night, I was trying my hardest not to cry, I was broken-hearted. Curtis said to me, ‘Don’t cry, Mum, I will mend. Don’t think of what’s happened, let’s just move forward.’ So as a family, we had to move forward.”

Curtis says Debi’s strength and willingness to listen to him and AJ got them through a tough time.

He says: “We have such a closeknit family our support network is each other, as long as we have that, that is how we cope.

“We talked about the attack as a family, we talked so much.

“A lot of positives have come from that situation. Mum and Dad set us up for life and I can only say thank you to them.”

AJ admits he calls Debi “about everything”. He says: “Every decision I make, Mum is involved, whether we are doing brand deals or a TV show, Mum’s the first person we call to ask her advice.