Kai Widdrington has received a welcome boost from fellow Strictly Come Dancing colleagues who’ve dubbed him a ‘showman’ amidst his ongoing tour, praising everything he’s worked hard for. The pro dancer is approaching the finale of his own headline tour, titled Evolution. In January, Kai disclosed that his Strictly mate, Giovanni Pernice, acts as one of the creative producers behind the show.
Kai has been touring the nation with Evolution, hitting stages in Swansea, Doncaster, Leicester, Belfast, and Dublin through May and June. His final performance is set for this Sunday (June 29) at Fareham Live. Yet, before that, he delighted in a gala night in London’s prestigious West End at the Bloomsbury Theatre on Sunday (June 22).
His Strictly colleagues, including judge Shirley Ballas, turned up to cheer him on, with the judge taking to Instagram to praise Kai’s performance. She posted a clip of him performing and penned: “Superstar @kaiwidd. Congratulations. Very proud of you and all involved.”
Fellow professional Lauren Oakley also conveyed her adoration in several heartfelt posts. After posting a clip of Kai and his company onstage, she expressed: “Wow… I’m speechless and so emotional watching how incredibly talented, skilled and passionate my friends are.”
Lauren then shared a second update capturing Kai soaking in the applause onstage, starting her message with, “And to my wonderful friend @kaiwidd…
“Watching you up there, I feel SO proud. What a showman, on every level. The way you hold yourself on stage and the way you dance, I just love to watch you shine! Love you my friend.”
Following his tour, Kai offered an optimistic update regarding his future on Strictly Come Dancing, acknowledging that it’s ‘never nice’ to go partnerless on the programme after being overlooked last year.
The professional dancer became a part of the popular dance series in 2021, having previously enjoyed a similar role on the Irish edition of Dancing with the Stars.
However, as the 2024 season commenced, Kai was not assigned a celebrity partner, a decision that disappointed many BBC One viewers.
Nevertheless, he continued to take part in Strictly’s 20th-anniversary series, participating in group dances and performances alongside musical acts during the weekly results shows.
He could also be seen offering support to his Strictly comrades every Saturday night alongside the show’s co-presenter Claudia Winkleman in the ‘Claudatorium’.
Recently, it was announced that Kai will return to the ballroom later this year, as the BBC disclosed the professional cast for Strictly 2025, hinting at new dancers joining closer to the start of the 23rd series this autumn.
During a May appearance on ITV’s Lorraine before his solo tour’s debut, stand-in host Christine Lampard queried Kai about his experience without a partner.
He reflected: “It’s never nice but there’s a few ways you can look at it, you can go down and sad about it, or you can take a step back and ask, ‘What can I change in my life? What can I improve on?’ and I made a few changes in my life.
“I sorted myself out. I wanted to feel good in my own skin and now I can happily say this, I’m the happiest I’ve ever been, which is number one.
“I’m in the best psychical shape I’ve ever been in since I was probably 17 at the height of my competition career and I’m feeling good going into my show.”