Kai Widdrington won’t have a celebrity partner on this year’s Strictly Come Dancing and a former pro has slammed the decision.
On the 2023 series, Kai was partnered with Angela Rippon, However, this year, Kai doesn’t have a partner. Instead, he’ll still appear on the show but for the group dances.
Brendan Cole, a former pro dancer on the BBC show, has called the decision “disrespectful”.
Kai Widdrington on Strictly
Speaking exclusively for ED! on behalf of Sky Vegas, Brendan said: “I don’t really understand why they [the show] do it like they do [with the pros not getting dance partners].
“For me, it’s more disrespectful than anything else. I would not have accepted, in my day, being signed up for Strictly and then being told, ‘You’re not going to have a partner, you’re going to be an extra on the show.’
“It’s about being respectful to the pros. Unless they know that’s what they’re signing up for.”
Kai recently spoke about not getting a celebrity partner this year.
He told the Daily Star: “Everyone wants to get a celebrity. Unfortunately, it wasn’t my time this series. Two boys couldn’t have one this series and sadly I am one of them.
For me, it’s more disrespectful than anything else.
“Some of us don’t get partners and that’s the way it is. Let’s see what happens next year. Hopefully, I’ll get one then.”
The dancer added: “The line-up of celebs this year is amazing. It is going to be a fantastic series, as it always is. We have been filming a lot of the group routines. There are some amazing ones. We have worked really hard through the summer to get them ready for the series. One of the ones I feature in is very funny.”
Strictly 2024
Fans weren’t impressed with Kai not having a partner. One fumed online: “It’s an absolute liberty that Carlos [Gu] and Kai haven’t got a partner this year. Sorry I’m fuming.”
Another wrote: “The fact that Kai has been benched this year is actually upsetting to me. What were they THINKING?!!”
Someone else added: “Giving Neil [Jones] a partner but benching Kai and Carlos is perhaps the strangest decision they’ve made in a year of strange and terrible decisions.”
The Strictly 2024 launch show aired last Saturday. This weekend, the celebrities and their pro partners will perform their first live dances of the series.
Strictly continues this Saturday (September 21) from 7pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
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