Strictly Come Dancing professional Kai Widdrington has given his verdict on how he feels about being part of the BBC dancing competition for another year – despite it being reported that he hasn’t been given a celebrity partner.
Widdrington was paired with Rip-Off Britain star Angela Rippon last year and they were the eighth pair to be eliminated from Strictly after a competitive weekend at the Blackpool Tower Ballroom.
Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman will welcome the 15 new celebrities to the Strictly ballroom this Saturday to pair them with their professional partners – however, Widdrington may not be included in the line-up.
According to The Sun, a source said: “Kai has become the first casualty of this year’s male-heavy line-up. With so few female celebrities it was inevitable that some of the professionals would miss out on a pairing, but it’s a real blow that Kai is one of them.
“He had a great run last series with Angela and is a fan-favourite. But, just like last year with Nadiya [Bychkova] when she wasn’t given a partner, bosses have to look at a number of factors when choosing which dancer to pair with which celebrity.
“They look at everything from height through to chemistry tests to see who will work best together and it’s meant Kai has missed out. He will be part of the group dances alongside other males who haven’t been selected this year.”
Despite the possibility he may not have a celebrity partner to compete with this year, the 29-year-old is keen to get back on the show and claimed he feels “very, very honoured” to be a part of the cast.
He opened up to the BBC: “I remember watching the first episode as a youngster, so I feel very honoured to be a part of it.
“When I was 20, I was travelling around the world touring in South Africa, China, and doing all those sorts of shows, but I knew I’d have to come home eventually.”
Touching on what the next 20 years will look like for the show, he added: “I think it’s going to be bigger and better, probably with more glitter, and filled with weird and wonderful things.”
After the full line-up was announced, fans of the show slammed bosses and claimed it was too “male-heavy” which comes after Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima both left the series.
The nine male stars taking part this year are DIY SOS star Nick Knowles, Olympic swimmer Tom Dean, EastEnders actor Jamie Borthwick, Singer Shayne Ward, The Only Way is Essex star Pete Wicks, Singer Wynne Evans, JLS star JB Gill, and Comedian Chris McCausland.
Responding to the criticism it received about the gender split, a BBC spokesperson told Metro.co.uk: “We are really excited about this year’s line-up and look forward to the series starting.
“There are many factors that influence the casting process to ensure we have a good mix of celebrities from a broad range of backgrounds.
“There is no hard and fast rule regarding the gender split on the show and it’s never been about ticking boxes.”
The blow to Widdrington comes after he split from Strictly professional Nadiya Bychkova after two years, with the couple deciding to mutually separate after their relationship reportedly came under strain due to the pressures of touring together.
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An insider told The Sun: “It’s heartbreaking. Kai and Nadiya seemed like the most perfect couple and have been so, so blissfully in love.
“But the pressures of touring – being in each other’s space 24/7, and the stress of performing a sell-out show eventually took its toll.
“After a tough few weeks, they sat down together and decided to call it quits.
“They remain incredibly close and are determined their split will not have any impact on the next series of Strictly – they remain consummate professionals, and nothing will change that.”
