Be sure to come and dance Fans will be disappointed as a key cast member is left without a partner.
Kai Widdrington has reportedly been dropped from the lineup for next season as the celebrity roster is predominantly dominated by men and thus more female professionals have been confirmed as partners.
This means that fan favourite Widdrington is without a partner and has been taken off the show.
A source said The sun: “Kai is the first victim of this year’s male-dominated lineup.
“With so few female celebrities, it was inevitable that some of the pros would miss out on a matchup, but the fact that Kai is one of them is a real blow.”
However, the pairings of the professional dancers have not yet been decided and are usually only announced at the start of the show.
The Independent has asked the BBC for comment.
The news comes after rumors emerged that he and his professional dancer Nadiya Bychkova had split.
The 20th anniversary series, expected to return in the fall, will welcome the show’s first blind contestant, Olympic gold medalists and soap opera actors, all hoping to lift the Glitterball trophy.
When the final nominees were announced, some complained about a “gender imbalance” as nine men and six women were nominated for the show.
“We are really excited about this year’s line-up and look forward to the start of the series,” said a BBC spokesman metro.
They continued: “There are many factors that influence the casting process to ensure we have a good mix of celebrities from a variety of backgrounds. There is no hard and fast rule regarding the gender balance on the show and it has never been about ticking boxes.”
The show’s program for 2024 includes EastEnders Star Jamie Borthwick, TV personality Nick Knowles, Olympic champion Tom Dean, X-Factor Winners and Coronation Street Actor Shayne Ward, JLS singer JB Gill and former Love Island Candidate Tasha Ghouri.
Other participants are Miranda Actress Sarah Hadland, The only way is Essex Star Pete Wicks, singer Wynne Evans, singer and actress Toyah Wilcox and BBC Morning Live General Practitioner Dr. Punam Krishan.
The once serious dance competition has been plagued by scandal and controversy in recent months after a series of allegations emerged against professional dancers Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima, leading to their exclusion from the show following a BBC investigation.
