Strictly hit by fresh blow as Kai withdraws

Strictly Come Dancing has suffered another blow after professional dancer Kai Widdrington was forced to pull out of Saturday’s live show due to illness.

The 31-year-old was due to perform an Argentine Tango with his celebrity partner, Australian singer Delta Goodrem. However, fellow professional dancer Aljaž Škorjanec will step in to replace him.

The BBC dance competition confirmed Kai’s withdrawal through its official Instagram account on Friday. The show said he would be unable to take part because of illness and wished him a speedy recovery.

Following the announcement, fans shared messages of support and wished the dancer a quick return. Head judge Shirley Ballas also joined those sending him their best wishes.

Kai’s absence comes after another difficult period for the dancing partnership. He and Delta had already missed the competition’s fourth week after the singer suffered a rib injury. The 42-year-old experienced significant pain following her performance and was advised by doctors to rest.

Delta’s condition reportedly became serious enough to require hospital treatment. Medical professionals also advised her to sleep in an upright position while recovering.

Before the injury interrupted their progress, the singer had delivered impressive performances. Her Salsa earned her the highest position on the leaderboard for the second consecutive week, making the setback particularly disappointing.

Despite the latest disruption, Kai and Delta will not face elimination. Under the competition’s rules, the pair will receive a bye and automatically progress to the following week.

Meanwhile, actress Jaime Winstone has confirmed that she is ready to return to the ballroom after missing last week’s performance because of an abdominal muscle injury.

Jaime, who is partnered with professional dancer Carlos Gu, said doctors had given her permission to resume rehearsals, although she must follow certain restrictions.

Describing her absence as a difficult and frustrating experience, the actress expressed excitement about returning to the competition for Saturday’s live show.