Abbie Quinnen asked beau AJ Prichard if he would ‘still love her’ after horrific fire accident

Abbie Quinnen has revealed that she asked beau AJ Pritchard if he ‘would still love her’ after a horrific fire accident which left her with third-degree burns.

The professional dancer, 23, candidly recalled her first thoughts after the terrifying incident, revealing she was ‘shaking in horror’ and saw her ‘life flash before her eyes.’

She was left needing three skin grafts after a video she was filming with the former Strictly pro, 26, went horribly wrong and saw a wine bottle explode in January. 

Discussing the accident with The Sun, Abbie said that it only took seconds for the flames to cause her body to set alight.

Abbie, who suffered second-degree burns to her face and third-degree burns on her body, explained how she was rolling around in terror while AJ used wet towels to try and put out the flames. 

She said: ‘The first thing I said to AJ was, “Is my face going to be OK? Are you still going to love me?” I kept repeating this to him and I was shaking in horror.

‘It was such a shock, I was panicking and screaming. I dropped down to the floor and I was rolling to try to put out the fire. I saw my life flash before my eyes.’ 

In pictures taken before her skin grafts and obtained by the publication, Abbie’s face is seen with burns across one side and bandages around her head and torso. 

Abbie also reflected on the gruelling recovery process so far, revealing that she was taking 27 tablets a day, but is now only using paracetamol for the pain, and dropped to just seven-stone in weight when she was left bed-bound after the accident.     

Abbie, who was left with injuries on her face, neck, chest, torso and shoulder, also revealed that when the flames were put out the floor was covered in her burnt hair. 

After one night in Ealing Hospital Abbie was transferred to Chelsea and Westminster Hospital’s burns unit, where she said she tried to avoid any mirrors.

The influencer explained how her face had swelled up and she couldn’t use her right eye but kept catching small glimpses of her visage in her phone screen.

She also revealed that AJ, who had held a vigil outside the first hospital overnight, tried to drop off some fresh clothes for her but she refused to see him.

Abbie said: ‘From the moment it happened, I was worried I would never look the same again… I was terrified about seeing anyone.’

Abbie’s recovery has been intense and she’s required three skin grafts, with doctors taking skin from her rib cage for the first surgery- however they ended up using donor skin as she had an infection at the time of the procedure.

The dancer explained she opted for this location as she ‘couldn’t cope’ with losing anymore hair and taking skin from the back of her head.

Luckily, the third graft was able to be completed with her skin, with doctors taking from her rib cage and using on seven patches, including her arm, torso and neck. 

Now two months on from the awful accident, Abbie said she and AJ are closer than ever with the former Strictly pro helping her recover at home.

Abbie said her beau helps her moisturise every day and is constantly reassuring her they’ll be a strong couple forever and will make it through the recovery.

AJ has also spoken candidly about the trauma of Abbie’s accident and had to fight back tears as he detailed the horrific ordeal of seeing ‘someone he loves on fire’.

The dancer described how a YouTube video went ‘horribly wrong’ and his girlfriend ‘caught alight so fast’, while trying to forge a vase out of a wine bottle bottle using fire while speaking on Lorraine on Tuesday.

AJ told how he sat outside the hospital all night after being banned from entering due to Covid restrictions, after rushing his partner to A&E following the terrifying accident.  

During the interview, AJ also admitted the possibility of laser treatment to help heal certain areas has been discussed. But for now, medics have dubbed her Super Abbie because she is ‘healing fantastically’, following the harrowing ordeal. 

Speaking of the incident, AJ went on: ‘The thing was, to turn a wine bottle into a vase. There’s a tutorial to just follow online and unfortunately it went horribly wrong. I think what’s really scary is that her clothes caught light, her hair caught light and it all happened so fast, yet felt like a lifetime of a scenario.’

On how he responded to the situation, AJ said: ‘When it happened, I think the most upsetting thing is seeing your loved one, someone you love, on fire and being, what felt like so helpless in such a moment. 

‘As soon as the fire on her body, on her hair, on her skin was out we covered her in damp towels, we called 999, we did everything we thought was the right thing to do and to get her to A&E as soon as possible. 

‘Thankfully, Curtis was here to help. Abbie was in shock, I was trying to keep Abbie calm, Curtis was trying to keep me calm and get us both to the hospital.

AJ continued: ‘And I think what was really overwhelming to me was as soon as I was handing her over to people that I knew were going to help, which were the nurses at Ealing Hospital, for me emotionally…

‘I was just absolutely torn and being so calm and collected when it was happening, trying to go through all what was the right thing to do but then as soon as I handed her over I sat outside and I remember the night so vividly.’  

Since the accident, a number of fans have reached out to Abbie and AJ to send their best wishes. 

Among them is Claudia Winkleman, 49, whose daughter Matilda suffered horrific burns in 2014. 

Abbie said she was ‘so happy’ to hear from the TV presenter, adding that hearing about other people’s recoveries has helped her focus on her own.