Arizona Tribune - Kai Widdrington Withdraws from Strictly Come Dancing Due to Illness; Aljaž Škorjanec Steps In

Strictly Come Dancing professional Kai Widdrington has been forced to withdraw from Saturday’s live broadcast due to illness, the production confirmed on Friday night. The 31-year-old dancer will be replaced by fellow professional Aljaž Škorjanec, who will partner with singer Delta Goodrem for their scheduled Argentine Tango.

The announcement was made via a statement posted to the show’s official Instagram page. The post read: "Due to illness, Kai is unable to dance on tomorrow night's show. Instead, Aljaz will step in to dance the Argentine Tango with Delta. We're sending Kai all our love and hope he feels better soon."

The news arrives just weeks after Goodrem, 42, was forced to sit out Week Four of the competition following a rib injury. The Australian singer had been ordered by medical professionals to rest and sleep upright to aid her recovery after being hospitalized hours after the previous live broadcast due to severe pain. Despite the injury, she had managed to perform a Salsa during Week Three, which kept her at the top of the leaderboard for two consecutive weeks.

Under the rules of the competition, Goodrem and Widdrington have been granted a bye through to the next week, allowing them to skip Saturday’s scoring without penalty. This marks the second time this series that the pair has missed a live show due to health issues.

The announcement on social media drew an immediate response from fans and judges alike. Head judge Shirley Ballas led the well-wishes with a comment on the post: "@kaiwidd hugs get well soon ❤️." Viewers also took to the comments section, with one fan writing, "Kai get better soon we need you for Blackpool," while another noted, "Poor Delta (and Kai) going through the trenches this series."

The update coincides with news regarding other contestants on the show. Actress Jaime Winstone has confirmed her return to the dancefloor for Saturday’s episode alongside her partner Carlos Gu. Winstone had been forced to withdraw from last week’s show after tearing an abdominal muscle during training.

In a separate Instagram post on Tuesday, Winstone described the previous week as "hard and frustrating" due to her inability to participate. She revealed that she and Gu have received medical clearance to return under specific conditions. "We've just done our wonderful Charleston with amazing choreographers and Carlos. How to work around the injury, and we are just feeling so grateful and privileged to be back here," Winstone said. She added that they are starting gently but hope to deliver a strong performance on Saturday.

Gu echoed her sentiments in the comments, telling fans: "Yeah, and exciting to see you guys on Saturday. Wish us luck. Love you guys." As the show progresses, the production team continues to manage the health of its cast while ensuring the live broadcasts proceed as scheduled.

F.Wilson--AT