It didn’t take long for Strictly Come Dancing viewers to realise they’d seen Kai Widdrington’s dad Tommy when he appeared on screen at the weekend.
Pro dancer Kai and his partner, Big Brother’s Bit on the Side presenter AJ Odudu, 33, bagged an incredible 39 points out of 40 on Saturday night’s episode.
Claudia Winkleman, 49, interviewed Kai and AJ before the judges delivered their scores after the pair did the Charleston.
As she caught up with the two of them, Claudia revealed that Kai’s father was actually in the audience this week.
After congratulating them on their performance, the presenter said to Kai: “I have to mention your dad, Tommy, who asked, ‘When do I get a mention?’ He is here this evening.”
After the announcement, the camera cut to Kai’s dad, who was giggling and waving as the audience cheered him.
And fans immediately knew who they were looking at: former Premier League football player and manager Tommy Widdrington.
Currently the Director at Bristol Rovers, Tommy made a whopping 372 appearances over a career spanning 15 years.
The 50-year-old played for Southampton between 1990 and 1996 before moving over to Grimsby Town.
(Image: PA)
He stayed there until 1999, when he left for a two-year stint at Port Vale – there, he was voted the club’s Player of the Year in 2000.
In 2001, the Geordie transferred to Hartlepool United, then to Macclesfield Town and eventually back to Port Vale, where his career in the Football League came to an end.
Kai’s younger brother Theo is also a professional footballer, currently playing for Havant & Waterlooville.
(Image: PA)
The 26-year-old was also set to follow in his dad’s footsteps to become a pro football player.
Instead, he plumped for a career as a dancer, going on to become World Junior Latin American champion by the age of 14.
Although this is Kai’s first appearance on Strictly, he was previously on the Irish version of Dancing With the Stars.
He has admitted loving his time in the ballroom, saying: “It’s just been brilliant. Every single week has been amazing.
“Since week one when we came out with the jive and we broke that record, or whatever it was, and the iconic performances we’ve had since then…
“I’m having the best time, we’re having a ball together, we get on like a house on fire, we train to ungodly hours.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
