Strictly's Kai Widdrington 'left without celebrity partner'

'Strictly Come Dancing' professional Kai Widdrington has reportedly been left without a celebrity partner for the new series.

The hit BBC talent show is heading back to TV in the autumn and a new report suggests Kai - who has been with the show since 2021 - will be sidelined this year due to the high number of male stars in the line-up.

A source told The Sun newspaper: "Kai has become the first casualty of this year’s male-heavy line-up. With so few female celebrities it was inevitable that some of the professionals would miss out on a pairing, but it’s a real blow that Kai is one of them.

He had a great run last series ... and is a fan favourite. ... [But] bosses have to look at a number of factors when choosing which dancer to pair with which celebrity.

"They look at everything from height through to chemistry tests to see who will work best together and it’s meant Kai has missed out."

However, will remain a part of the show and take part in the group performances.

The insider added: "He will be part of the group dances alongside other males who haven’t been selected this year."

BBC bosses added in a statement: "The 'Strictly Come Dancing' celebrity contestant and professional dancer pairings will be announced, as usual, in the launch show airing in the autumn and on the official Strictly channels."

While the pairings have yet to be officially announced by the BBC, the new season's contestants have already been confirmed with TV presenter Nick Knowles and former footballer Paul Merson in the line-up.

The other competitors include Olympic swimmer Tom Dean, 'Gladiators' star Montell Douglas, hockey player-turned-TV star Sam Quek and 'EastEnders' actor Jamie Borthwick.

This season will also feature the show's second 'Love Island' contestant with Tasha Ghouri following in the footsteps of Zara McDermott, who joined 'Strictly' last year.