Kai Widdrington (born 23 August 1995) is an English dancer and choreographer. In 2010, he was the Junior World Latin American champion. In 2012, he reached the final of the sixth series of Britain's Got Talent. Between 2017 and 2020, he was a professional dancer on the Irish version of Dancing with the Stars, and in 2021, he became a professional dancer on the BBC show Strictly Come Dancing.
Early life Widdrington was born in Southampton, England to former Premier League footballer Tommy Widdrington and mother Candice. His younger brother Theo is a footballer. Widdrington was also set to follow in his father's footsteps by becoming a professional footballer, but aged 12 chose a dancing career instead of a Premier League contract. By the time he was 14, he was the World Junior Latin American champion. Widdrington also has a younger sister.
Widdrington is of part Chinese descent. His maternal grandfather is half Chinese and said to have been at school in the same class as actor Bruce Lee.
Career Britain's Got Talent In 2012, Widdrington formed a dance partnership with Natalia Jeved, both of whom auditioned for the sixth series of Britain's Got Talent. The pair managed to reach the live final coming 11th and last place. Two years later, in 2014, Widdrington made a second appearance on the programme during its eighth series, as part of the ballroom dance group Kings & Queens, working alongside future Strictly Come Dancing professionals Katya Jones and Neil Jones, and future Dancing with the Stars professionals Ksenia Zsikhotska and Ryan McShane. The group managed to reach the semi-finals of the series, but were ultimately eliminated from the competition by that stage.
Dancing with the Stars In 2017, Widdrington was announced as one of the professional dancers for the first series of Dancing with the Stars in Ireland. He was partnered with comedian and actress Katherine Lynch. They were eliminated in week nine of the competition, finishing in sixth place.
In 2018, Widdrington was partnered with camogie player Anna Geary. They reached the final of the show, finishing as joint-runners up alongside Deirdre O'Kane and John Nolan.
In 2019, Widdrington was partnered with teenage actress Demi Isaac Oviawe. They were eliminated in week seven of the competition, finishing in eighth place.
In 2020, Widdrington was paired with Miss Universe Ireland 2018, Gráinne Gallanagh. On 15 March 2020, it was announced that the scheduled semi-final had become the final due to precautions around the COVID-19 pandemic halting production early. Gallanagh and Widdrington were one of the four couples in the final, and they finished as runners-up to winners Lottie Ryan and Pasquale La Rocca.
SeriesPartnerPlace1Katherine Lynch6th2Anna Geary2nd3Demi Isaac Oviawe8th4Gráinne Gallanagh2nd
Highest and Lowest Scoring Per Dance
DancePartnerHighestPartnerLowestAmerican Smooth Anna Geary 22 Cha-cha-cha Katherine Lynch 18 Demi Isaac Oviawe 10Charleston Anna GearyGráinne Gallanagh 30 Katherine Lynch 23Contemporary Ballroom Anna GearyGráinne Gallanagh 27 Foxtrot Aoibhín Garrihy1 28 Demi Isaac Oviawe 14Jive Anna Geary 29 Katherine Lynch 19Paso Doble Gráinne Gallanagh 25 Anna Geary 22Quickstep Gráinne Gallanagh 25 Katherine Lynch 21Rumba Anna Geary 24 Demi Isaac Oviawe 16Salsa Anna Geary 30 Demi Isaac Oviawe 20Samba Gráinne Gallanagh 22 Katherine Lynch 16Showdance Anna Geary 30Tango Anna Geary 28 Gráinne Gallanagh 18Viennese Waltz Gráinne Gallanagh 30 Demi Isaac Oviawe 21Waltz Katherine Lynch 18 1 This score was awarded during Switch-Up Week.
Series 1 Celebrity partner: Katherine Lynch
Week Dance Music Judges' scores Total score Result2Waltz "If You Go Away"66618No Elimination3Cha-cha-cha "Express Yourself"66618Safe4Samba "Voulez-Vous"55616Safe5Foxtrot "Summertime"78722Safe6Quickstep "You're the One That I Want"77721Safe7Foxtrot "Big Bad Handsome Man"910928No Elimination8Charleston "Cabaret"78823Safe9Jive "Proud Mary"66719 Eliminated
Notes
Series 2 Celebrity partner: Anna Geary
Week Dance Music Judges' scores Total score Result2Tango "Rebel Rebel"68721No Elimination3Samba "New Rules"66618Safe4Contemporary Ballroom "Let It Go"999Safe5Paso Doble "Titanium"77822Safe6Tango "Green Light"999No Elimination7Charleston "Bang Bang"101010Safe8American Smooth "Achy Breaky Heart"77822Safe9RumbaTeam Dance "Secret Love Song""Party Rock Anthem"888889Safe10JiveSwing-a-thon"Time Warp""You Can't Stop the Beat"9101033Safe11FoxtrotSalsa"Dancing in the Moonlight (It's Caught Me in Its Spotlight)""Don't Stop the Music"810810810Safe12TangoCharlestonShowdance"Rebel Rebel""Bang Bang""This Is Me"9101010101091010Runners-up
Notes
Series 3 Celebrity partner: Demi Isaac Oviawe
Week Dance Music Judges' scores Total score Result2Cha-cha-cha "Cut to the Feeling"334No Elimination3Foxtrot "After All"45514Safe4Salsa "One Night Only"66820Safe5Rumba "Dance with My Father"556Safe6Salsa "Dance Again"88926No Elimination7Viennese Waltz "Fallin'"77721 Eliminated
Notes
Series 4 Celebrity partner: Gráinne Gallanagh
Week Dance Music Judges' scores Total score Result2Tango "Bang Bang"66618No Elimination3Jive "Dear Future Husband"67720Safe4Salsa "(I've Had) The Time of My Life"77721Safe5Contemporary Ballroom "Unstoppable"999Safe6Quickstep "Out of Our Heads"78823No Elimination7Quickstep "Paper Rings"88925Safe8Viennese Waltz "Waltz of the Flowers"101010Safe9Paso DobleTeam Dance"I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)""Physical"88988825Bottom two10SambaRock-Til-You-Drop"Wonder Woman Theme""Happy Days"78724Safe11FoxtrotCharleston"Falling""Dance Apocalyptic"91091091027Runners-up
Notes
Strictly Come Dancing From September 2021, he appeared as a professional dancer on the nineteenth series of Strictly Come Dancing, partnered with television presenter AJ Odudu. In their first week the couple topped the leaderboard with a score of 34 for their jive to Gold Dust by DJ Fresh. Judge Motsi Mabuse hailed the routine "the best dance of the evening, without a doubt." The couple qualified for the final but had to withdraw the day before after Odudu suffered an ankle injury.
For the twentieth series, Widdrington was partnered with Loose Women panellist, Kaye Adams. They were the first couple to be eliminated from the series after losing the first dance off to Matt Goss and Nadiya Bychkova. On 30 November 2022, it was announced he would dance with Alexandra Mardell for the 2022 Strictly Christmas Special; they eventually won the competition with a perfect score on their quickstep.
For the twenty-first series, Widdrington was partnered with television presenter and journalist, Angela Rippon. They finished 7th, being eliminated in week 9 after losing the dance off to Bobby Brazier and Dianne Buswell.
In 2024 Widdrington returned for the twenty-second series but was not paired with a celebrity partner. He went on to win the Christmas Special dancing a Cha-cha-cha with Welsh drag queen Tayce, in December 2024, with Tayce becoming the first drag queen to compete on Strictly Come Dancing. The pair scored maximum points from all four judges.
For the twenty-third series, Widdrington was partnered with television personality Vicky Pattison.
SeriesPartnerPlaceAverage score19AJ Odudu3rd34.620Kaye Adams15th 21.521Angela Rippon7th30.123Vicky Pattison8th28.824Delta GoodremTBDTBD
Highest and Lowest Scoring Per Dance DancePartnerHighestPartnerLowestAmerican Smooth AJ Odudu 35 Angela Rippon 28Argentine Tango 34Cha-cha-cha Angela Rippon 28 Vicky Pattison 23Charleston AJ Odudu 39 Kaye Adams 22 Couple's Choice 36 Vicky Pattison 33Foxtrot AJ OduduAngela Rippon 31 24Jive AJ Odudu 34 27Paso Doble Angela Rippon 32 AJ Odudu 28Quickstep AJ Odudu 40 Angela Rippon 26Rumba 39 31Salsa 30SambaVicky PattisonDelta Goodrem 29 AJ Odudu 28Showdance Tango Vicky Pattison 39 Kaye Adams 21Viennese Waltz AJ Odudu 40 Waltz 38 Angela Rippon 28
Series 19 Celebrity partner: AJ Odudu
Week Dance Music Judges' scores Total score Result1 Jive "Gold Dust"8899No Elimination2Foxtrot "Tears Dry on Their Own"797831Safe3 American Smooth "I Have Nothing"899935Safe4Samba "Don't Go Yet"578828Safe5Argentine tango"Edge of Seventeen"8810935Safe6Viennese waltz"Dangerous Woman"9109937Safe7Charleston "Don't Bring Lulu"9101010Safe8Paso doble"Game of Survival"6778Safe9Waltz"Edelweis"91010938 Safe10Couple's Choice "Make Me Feel"9810936Safe11Salsa "Rhythm Is Gonna Get You" / "Get on Your Feet"7887Bottom two12QuickstepRumba"Sing Sing Sing""Show Me Heaven"10910101010101039Withdrew
Notes
Series 20 Celebrity partner: Kaye Adams
Week Dance Music Judges' scores Total score Result1 Tango "Voulez-Vous"655521No Elimination2Charleston "Music! Music! Music!"4666 Eliminated
Notes
Series 21 Celebrity partner: Angela Rippon
Week Dance Music Judges' scores Total score Result1 Cha-cha-cha "Get the Party Started"777728No Elimination2 Foxtrot "You Make Me Feel So Young"887831Safe3 Quickstep "Do-Re-Mi"676726Safe4 Rumba "Rise Like a Phoenix" 8 7 8 8 31 Safe5 Argentine tango"Tanguera" 8 9 8 9 34 Safe6 Charleston "Theme from Murder, She Wrote" 9 8 8 8 33 Safe7 Waltz "Fascination" 7 8 6 7 28Bottom two8 Paso doble"Hung Up" 8 8 8 8 32Bottom two9 American Smooth "Tea for Two" 6 7 7 8 Eliminated
Notes
Series 23 Celebrity partner: Vicky Pattison
Week Dance Music Judges' scores Total score Result1 Cha-cha-cha "Best of My Love"566623No Elimination2 Foxtrot "Rein Me In" 6 6 6 6 24Safe3 Charleston "A Little Party Never Killed Nobody (All We Got)" 5 7 6 7 25Safe4Samba "La Isla Bonita"7778 29Safe5Couple's choice"Fight for This Love"888933Safe6American Smooth "Total Eclipse of the Heart"788831Safe7Tango"The Fate of Ophelia"910101039Safe8Jive"Sound of the Underground"6777 Eliminated
Notes
Christmas Specials
Year Celebrity partner Dance Music Judges' scores Total score Result2022Alexandra MardellQuickstep"Sleigh Ride"1010101040Winners2024TayceCha-cha-cha"100 Degrees"1010101040Winners2025Melanie BlattTheatre/Jazz"Santa Baby"8910936Participant
Notes
Personal life From 2016 to 2021, Widdrington was in a relationship with professional dancer and fellow Dancing with the Stars professional, Giulia Dotta. In June 2022, it was reported that he was in a relationship with fellow Strictly professional dancer, Nadiya Bychkova, but they were reported to have ended their relationship in July 2024.
Dance tours In September 2026, Widdrington & Lauren Oakley announced they were to appear at "Dancing With The Stars Weekends" 2027.
References
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