Strictly Come Dancing presenters Emma Willis, Johannes Radebe and Josh Widdicombe made an on-air announcement during Saturday's live show, revealing that professional dancer Kai Widdrington was absent due to sickness. Aljaž Škorjanec stepped in to partner with Delta Goodrem for the Argentine Tango.
Kai Widdrington Sits Out Due to Illness
As the couples entered the ballroom, Johannes said: "As you may have noticed, Delta is with Aljaž tonight. Unfortunately, due to illness, Kai is unable to perform. Kai, get well soon, please." He then turned to Aljaž, adding: "And Aljaž, thank you for stepping in." The pro dancer replied: "Thank you. Thank you for having me."
The BBC had previously announced Kai's absence in a statement shared on its official Instagram page on Friday (November 13). Accompanying an image of Delta and Kai, the post read: "Due to illness, Kai is unable to dance on tomorrow night's show. Instead, Aljaž will step in to dance the Argentine Tango with Delta. We're sending Kai all our love and hope he feels better very soon."
Fans Send Good Wishes
Supporters were swift to express their good wishes in the comments section. "Get well soon Kai. I hope your back to dance with Delta next week. Aljaž will do well with Delta this week, then team DeltaKai can be back on the dance floor," one individual commented. Another contributed: "Get well soon Kai, we're thinking of you." A third remarked: "Get well soon @kaiwidd. Good luck for your Argentine Tango tomorrow night @deltagoodrem @aljazskorjanec."
Jaime Winstone Returns to the Ballroom
While Kai was forced to miss the latest live programme, another celebrity made their return to the ballroom. Jaime Winstone notably came back, having missed last week's live broadcast due to an injury. At the beginning of the programme, Emma remarked: "We also have to say a ginormous welcome back to Jaime and Carlos! We missed you so much last week, and it feels like you're back where you belong on the dance floor."
During last week's episode, Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu became the sixth pairing to exit the competition, following their defeat to Cach Mercer and Maddie Ingoldsby in the dance-off. The surviving couples performed hoping to win over judges Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, and Anton Du Beke. Strictly Come Dancing is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
